A pyridine modified naphthol hydrazone Schiff base chemosensor for Al3+ via intramolecular charge transfer process

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2023-11, Vol.301, p.122961, Article 122961
• Main Authors: Musikavanhu, Brian, Huang, Zeping, Ma, Quanhong, Liang, Yongdi, Xue, Zhaoli, Feng, Lei, Zhao, Long
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum ion; Bioimaging; Chemosensor; Intramolecular charge transfer; Schiff base
• ISSN: 1386-1425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122961

[Display omitted] •A naphthyl hydrazine-pyridine Schiff base chemosensor for Al3+ is prepared.•Density functional theory calculations are performed for both probe and complex.•Turn-off response arises from an intramolecular charge transfer process.•The probe exhibits a low detection limit, quick response and high selectivity to Al3+.•Tests in HeLa cells confirm low cytotoxicity and bioapplications of the probe. A pyridine modified naphthol hydrazone Schiff base chemosensor, NaPy, was prepared in a two-step process to detect aluminum ion (Al3+) in different samples. The probe shows a turn-off emission response towards Al3+ at a 1:1 binding stoichiometry via intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, as validated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and a series of spectroscopic measurements. The response time is slightly over one minute with a limit of detection (LOD) value of 0.164 µM, demonstrating the great sensitivity of the probe. It is also found that NaPy exhibits high selectivity towards Al3+ and resists interference from seventeen other cations. Application investigations in paper strips, water samples and HeLa cells suggest that NaPy can be used as an efficient probe for sensing Al3+ in real environmental samples and biosystems.