Twisted Charge-Transfer Antennae for Ultra-Bright Terbium(III) and Dysprosium(III) Bioprobes

The design of original twisted charge transfer antennae in which a non-planar geometry is enforced thanks to one or two bulky ortho-Me substituents allows us to prepare the corresponding ultra-bright Tb^III and Dy^III bioprobes. The brightness of the Tb^III derivative compares well with that of the benchmark Tb-Lumi4 complex. The first bio-imaging experiments with a Dy^III luminescent bioprobe are also reported.