Selective cytotoxicity and luminescence imaging of cancer cells with a dipicolinato-based EuIII complex.

Four new species [Ln(dipicNH2)3]3- (Ln = LaIII, EuIII, GdIII, TbIII), with the ligand dipicNH22- (dipic = dipicolinato), were synthesized. Incubation of the EuIII complex with glioma NG97 and pancreatic cancer PANC1 cells showed that it penetrates the cell membrane and can be used to image the cells, while also being moderately cytotoxic.