title: An ESIPT-based fluorescent probe for highly selective and ratiometric detection of mercury(II) in solution and in cells.
abstract: A novel ratiometric fluorescent Hg(2+) detecting system was rationally developed based on the typical excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) characteristic of the latent fluorophore, 2-(1-(p-tolyl)-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol (Pol) and the Hg(2+)-mediated cleavage of the vinyl group. The probe responds selectively to Hg(2+) over various other metal ions with a larger bathochromic shift (∼100 nm). The sensing mechanism was investigated in detail by fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR spectra and mass spectrometry. Taking advantage of the enhancement effect of dichloromethane on the ESIPT efficiency, a facile dichloromethane extraction was introduced in the process of detection of Hg(2+), which affords a high sensitivity for the probe with a detection limit of 7.8 × 10(-9) M for Hg(2+). By using the new strategy, the novel probe can be used for the detection of Hg(2+) in practical water samples with good recovery. Moreover, the probe was successfully applied to the fluorescence image of Hg(2+) in living cells. These results indicated that the probe and the proposed method have promising applications for Hg(2+) sensing in biological and environmental sciences.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, PR China. zhangyy@hunnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Naxiu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Youyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinman
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Xubiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Shenlian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Shouzhuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011522:Protons; D012996:Solutions; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011522:Protons; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury