4-Amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent Cd2+ sensor with high selectivity against Zn2+ and its imaging in living cells

• A new 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent cadmium sensor with high selectivity against Zn2+, was synthesized.
• It demonstrates high selectivity and sensitivity for sensing Cd2+ with about 24-fold enhancement.
• It was applied successfully to image Cd2+ in living cells.

A novel 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent Cd2+ sensor with phenyliminoethoxy-ethoxyoxyacetic acid as receptor, was developed and applied successfully to image Cd2+ in living cells. It demonstrates high selectivity and sensitivity for sensing Cd2+ with about 24-fold enhancement in aqueous solution. Particularly, it is high selectivity against Zn2+.

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