Synthesis and in vitro assessment of a bifunctional closomer probe for fluorine ((19)F) magnetic resonance and optical bimodal cellular imaging.

The design, synthesis and in vitro assessment of a bifunctional imaging probe for dual fluorine ((19)F) magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((19)F-MRS) and fluorescence detection is reported. Eleven copies of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl and a single copy of a sulforhodamine-B were covalently attached to a closo-B12(2-)-core via suitable linkers. The (19)F-MRS and fluorescence imaging shows that, this novel bimodal imaging probe was readily taken up by the cells in vitro after co-incubation.