Two birds with one stone: Multifunctional and highly selective fluorescent probe for distinguishing Zn2+ from Cd2+ and selective recognition of sulfide anion

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) 2013-11, Vol.116, p.434-440
• Main Authors: Hou, Ji-Ting, Liu, Bei-Yu, Li, Kun, Yu, Kang-Kang, Wu, Ming-Bo, Yu, Xiao-Qi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aqueous solutions; cadmium; Cations, Divalent; Cell Membrane Permeability; cell membranes; cobalt; Cobalt - analysis; copper; Copper - analysis; Coumarins - chemistry; fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; Fluorescent probe; HeLa Cells; Humans; image analysis; Recognition; Sensitivity and Specificity; Solutions; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - methods; Sulfide anion; Sulfides - analysis; Water - chemistry; zinc; Zinc - analysis; Zinc ion
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2013.07.020

A coumarin-based multifunctional fluorescent sensor containing a di-2-picolylamine (DPA) moiety (1) was presented. Interestingly, this probe could similarly act as ON-OFF type fluorescent sensor for Co2+ and Cu2+, then in situ generated 1-Co(II) and 1-Cu(II) ensembles could further serve as OFF-ON type fluorescent sensors to achieve the discrimination of Zn2+ from Cd2+ and selective recognition of sulfide anion in aqueous solution via displacement approach, respectively. Specially, 1-Cu(II) could permeate the cell membrane and could be used in fluorescence imaging of S2− in living biological samples. These ON-OFF-ON type fluorescent sensors exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity towards the targets. A coumarin-based multifunctional ON-OFF-ON type fluorescent sensor was presented, which could discriminate Zn2+ from Cd2+ and selectively recognize sulfide anion in aqueous solution. [Display omitted] •A multifunctional and highly selective fluorescent probe 1 was presented.•Ensemble 1-Co(II) can selectively detect Zn2+, and 1-Cu(II) can recognize S2−.•1-Cu(II) could permeate the cell membrane and could image S2− in living biological samples.