An 'off-on' fluorescent chemosensor of selectivity to Cr3+ and its application to MCF-7 cells

A 'switching-on' fluorescent chemosensor for the selective and sensitive signaling of intraceullar Cr3+ has been designed and synthesized exploiting the guest-induced prohibition of the photoinduced electron transfer process between naphthyridine moiety and 7,10-diphenylfluoranthene moiety, the system shows a Cr3+-selective chelation-enhanced fluorescence response not only in ethanol but in cell.