Development of a fast responsive and highly sensitive fluorescent probe for Cu2+ ion and imaging in living cells

• A novel type of specific probe HMPM-NS was design and synthesized with good yields.
• It displays high selectivity and sensitivity for Cu2+ detection.
• It enables to quantitatively detect lower than micromole level of Cu2+ with a fast response and in almost the entire alkalinity pH range (from 4.8 to 13.5).
• We also successfully applied it to visualize Cu2+ in living cells.

A novel fluorescent quenching probe (HMPM-NS) bearing a dansyl and pyridine group has been successfully developed. This probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of copper ion over commonly coexistent metal ions or anions in neutral aqueous media. The limit of detection of this probe based on 3 × δblank/k was calculated as low as 0.168 μM of Cu2+. And the interaction mode with 1:1 stoichiometry was proposed between HMPM-NS and Cu2+. It can be used in almost the entire alkalinity pH window (from pH 4.8–13.5) with a fast response when reacts with Cu2+. On the account of its excellent spectroscopic properties, we demonstrated this probe displays good cell permeability by 3D cell imaging and then successfully applied it to visualize Cu2+ in living cells, which further revealed its valuable applications in biological systems.

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