Self-assembled small molecule based fluorescent detection of serum albumin proteins: Clinical detection and cell imaging

Self-assembled aggregates of BIM-PDI undergo encapsulation induced disassembly in human serum albumin proteins and used for detection of HSA in blood serum, urine and HeLa cells. [Display omitted] •BIM-PDI selectively detects BSA/HSA through fluorescence turn-on mechanism.•The detction limit for HSA/BSA is 3×10−10M (at 577nm) and 4.2×10−8M (at 540nm).•BIM-PDI finds application in determining of HSA in blood serum and urine samples.•BIM-PDI is sucessfully applied for detection of BSA in HeLa cells.•BIM-PDI∩BSA ensemble is used for detection of Hg2+ ions. We report perylenediimide-benzimidazolium based fluorescent ‘turn-on’ probe BIM-PDI for selective detection of human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins. In HEPES buffer (0.1% DMSO), BIM-PDI self-assembles into aggregates and shows absorption maxima at 500nm and weak fluorescence centered at 577nm. The addition of HSA or BSA (1×10−9–5×10−8M) to the solution of BIM-PDI results in decrease in the emission intensity at 577nm. However, further increase in concentration of HSA/BSA results in appearance of new blue shifted emission band at 540nm. The minimum detection limit for HSA/BSA is 3.01×10−10M at 577nm and 4.2×10−8M at 540nm. On addition of BSA to the solution of BIM-PDI, the size of the aggregates decreased from 100 to 250nm to