A low-toxic luminescent terbium(III)-loxoprofen complex for bio-optical imaging

A novel green-emitting terbium(III)-loxoprofen complex (Tb-LPF) was synthesized via a simple solution precipitation method, and the corresponding chemical composition and structure were determined by elemental analysis and infrared absorption spectra. The thermal stability of Tb-LPF was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis. The photophysical properties of Tb-LPF were measured by UV absorption and photoluminescence spectra. Furthermore, the biological toxicity of Tb-LPF was determined using MTT assay and flow cytometry based on MCF-7 cells. The experimental results demonstrated that Tb-LPF exhibited strong green emission and low toxicity, endowing Tb-LPF with a potential capability to act as an imaging probe in optical detection and bio-tissue imaging.