Turn on fluorescent chemosensor containing rhodamine B fluorophore for selective sensing and in vivo fluorescent imaging of Fe3+ ions in HeLa cell line and zebrafish

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. A, Chemistry. Chemistry., 2019-11, Vol.384, p.112060, Article 112060
• Main Authors: Vijay, Natarajan, Wu, Shu Pao, Velmathi, Sivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Binding sites; Biotechnology; Cations; Chemical sensors; Chemical synthesis; Chemoreceptors; Danio rerio; Fe3+ ions; Ferric ions; Fluorescence; Fluorescence imaging; Fluoroscopic imaging; Ions; Iron; Metal ions; Rhodamine; Selectivity; System effectiveness; Turn on fluorescence; Zebrafish
• ISSN: 1010-6030; 1873-2666
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2019.112060

[Display omitted] Selective and sensitive ‘turn-on’ fluorescent probe for Fe3+ ions was developed for invivo fluorescent imaging in HeLa cell line and zebrafish. •Fluorescence chemosensor for Fe3+ with “turn on” mechanism.•Highly selective towards Fe3+ over other competing trivalent ions.•Relatively less detection limit for Fe3+(0.16 μm).•Effective real-time application for bioimaging of Fe3+ in Hela cell line and Zebrafish. Rhodamine dyes are utilized effectively as a chemosensor to monitor biologically important metal ions and effectively applied for fluorescent imaging studies in living systems. Herein, rhodamine-B armed fluorescent chemosensor (RhBNC) was designed and synthesized by condensation reaction between rhodamine B hydrazide and naphthyl chromone with ONO binding site in good yield. Upon sensing study towards metal ions, the probe showed selective turn-on fluorescent change for Fe3+ over other cations even in the presence of competing trivalent metal ions as well. The fluorescence switch is “on” when Fe3+ ions binds to RhBNC with orange fluorescence. The probe can detect lower concentration of Fe3+ ions with detection limit of 0.16 μM. Due to its lower detection limit; it can be applied to monitor Fe3+ ion presence in a living system by fluorescent imaging technique. The probe was employed effectively to ascertain the presence of Fe3+ and to image Fe3+ ions in HeLa cell line and zebrafish.