Imaging Golgi-Apparatus in Colon Cancer Cells by Small Molecule Hydrazone Fluorophore

Herein, we have designed and synthesised a 2,6-dihydroxybenzoyl-hydrazone (compound 3) fluorophore through a concise strategy. Molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical simulations revealed that long range charge transfer (CT) to be the underlying mechanism for the emissive property of compound 3. Confocal microscopy and cell viability assays confirmed that within 3 h, compound 3 homed into the Golgi-apparatus of colon cancer cells (HCT-116) selectively compared to the breast (MCF7), lung (A549), cervical (HeLa) cancer cells and non-cancerous retinal epithelial pigment cells (RPE-1) with negligible toxicity. This novel fluorophore has potential to image Golgi-apparatus in a cancer cell specific manner for diagnosis.