Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2017, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (5): 695-701.doi: 10.1007/s40242-017-7084-z

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A New Biphenylcarbonitrile Based Fluorescent Sensor for Zn2+ Ions and Application in Living Cells

FENG Jia1, SHAO Xiuqing1, SHANG Zhuobin1, CHAO Jianbin1, WANG Yu1, JIN Weijun2   

  1. 1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, P. R. China;
    2. College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
  • Received:2017-03-07 Revised:2017-07-02 Online:2017-10-01 Published:2017-07-21
  • Contact: WANG Yu,E-mail:wangyu1168@sxu.edu.cn;JIN Weijun,wjjin@bnu.edu.cn E-mail:wangyu1168@sxu.edu.cn;Jwjjin@bnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:

    Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province, China(No.2013011040-6); the Project Sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, the Ministry of Education of China.

Abstract:

A new and efficient fluorescent sensor 4'-hydroxy-3'-[(4-antipyrineimino) methyl]-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (L) was prepared for the selective detection of Zn2+ in aqueous ethanol medium.When excited at 419 nm,the fluorescent intensity of sensor L at 507 nm was remarkably increased more than 54-fold after adding Zn2+ ions.The strong green emission of the solution can be easily identified by naked eye under UV light.Thus,sensor L behaves as a naked eye fluorescent-turn on‖ detector for Zn2+ ions.The fluorescence enhancement might be attributed to the inhibition of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and C=N isomerization as well as the chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect.The complex solution of sensor L with Zn2+ ions exhibited reversibility with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the probe could be recycled for further use.Notably,sensor L could clearly distinguish Zn2+ from Cd2+.The interaction of sensor L with zinc ions was investigated by means of FTIR, 1H NMR and HRMS spectroscopy.Furthermore,sensor L has been applied for cell imaging studies.

Key words: Fluorescent chemosensor, Recognition, Zn2+, Cell imaging