A new fluorescent chemosensor based on a Rhodamine B and pyrrole conjugate (RBPY) has been designed and synthesized. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic studies show that RBPY exhibits a high selectivity and sensitivity toward Fe(3+) among many other metal cations in a MeOH/H2O solution (3:2, v/v, pH 7.10, HEPES buffer, 0.1mM) by forming a 1:1 complex with Fe(3+). Furthermore, results reveal that the formation of the RBPY-Fe(3+) complex is fully reversible in the presence of sulfide anions and could also be used as an efficient sensor for S(2-). Importantly, fluorescence microscopy experiments further demonstrated that RBPY can be utilized as a fluorescent probe for the detection of Fe(3+) in human liver (L-02) cells.
Keywords: Cell imaging; Chemosensor; Fe(III) ions; Fluorescence; Rhodamine B derivative.
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