A diethylamino pyridine formyl Schiff base as selective recognition chemosensor for biological thiols

•A diethylamino pyridine formyl Schiff base 1 was synthesized via condensation.•Compound 1 can recognize GSH via intermolecular hydrogen-bond in aqueous solution.•Its copper complex shows turn-on fluorescence response to Cys in aqueous solution.•The compound also can be successfully applied for bioimaging in living cell.

A diethylamino pyridine formyl Schiff base compound was synthesized via typical condensation reaction between 4-N, N-diethyl amino salicylic aldehyde and 2-pyridine formyl hydrazine in good yields. Its photophysical properties and selective recognition properties for biological thiols in aqueous solution have been investigated. The results indicate that the compound exhibits quickly obvious UV-vis absorption and fluorescence turn-off response to glutathione (GSH) based on intermolecular hydrogen-bond interaction in PBS butter solution. The copper complex of the compound shows quickly obvious turn-on fluorescence response to cysteine (Cys) based on replacement reaction with copper in PBS butter solution. Then the compound can selectively recognize three biological thiols of GSH, Cys and homocysteine (Hcy) in aqueous solution. The compound also can be successfully applied for bioimaging in living cell.

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