Sensing Mechanism and Excited-State Dynamics of a Widely Used Intracellular Fluorescent pH Probe : pHrodo
The pHrodo with an “off–on” response to the changes of pH has been widely used as a fluorescent pH probe for bioimaging. The fluorescence off–on mechanism is fundamentally important for its application and further development. Herein, the sensing mechanism, especially the relevant excited-state dynamics, of pHrodo is investigated by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy as well as quant