A new chemodosimetric probe for the selective detection of trivalent cations in aqueous medium and live cells

•Selective flourogenic receptor for trivalent metal ions (Al3+, Fe3+ and Cr3+).•It works in aqueous medium.•The system is completely free from interference of other metal ions.•The system is non-cytotoxic to model human cells (HeLa cells).

A new quinoline functionalized Schiff base (L) was synthesized which displayed selective fluorescence response to trivalent metal cations (Al3+, Fe3+ and Cr3+) over a variety of divalent and monovalent metal cations in ∼100% aqueous medium. The specific sensing of trivalent cations by a switch-ON fluorescence response is based on selective acid catalyzed imine bond hydrolysis of L facilitated by the higher valence metal ions in aqueous medium and this mechanism was corroborated by mass spectrometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The developed probe was biocompatible and rendered sensing of trivalent metal ions (Al3+, Fe3+ and Cr3+) in live HeLa cells through imaging.

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