A new "off-on" fluorescent probe for Al3+ in aqueous solution based on rhodamine B and its application to bioimaging

In this paper, a new fluorescent probe has been synthesized and applied as "off-on" sensor for the detection of Al3+ with a high sensitivity and excellent selectivity in aqueous media. The sensor was easily prepared by one step reaction between rhodamine B hydrazide and pyridoxal hydrochloride named REP. The structure of the sensor has been characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and electron spray ionization-mass spectrometry. The fluorescence intensity and absorbance for the sensor showed a good linearity with the concentration of Al3+ in the range of 0-12.5 mu M and 8-44 mu M, respectively, with detection limits of 0.23 mu M and 1.90 mu M. The sensor RBP was preliminarily applied to the determination of Al3+ in water samples from the lake of Henan University and tap water with satisfying results. Moreover, it can be used as a bioimaging reagent for imaging of Al3+ in living cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.