Dicoumarin with dimethyl thiocarbamate in the fluorescent detecting for Au3+ in water and cells

Abstract

Gold ions have high activity and cytotoxicity completely different from elemental gold. It is necessary and critical to develop Au³⁺ detection tools that are easy to operate, intuitive, inexpensive, and non-destructive testing. Here, we propose a novel two-photon fluorescent probe named DA for detecting Au³⁺, which is a rare combination of dicoumarin with dimethylthiocarbamate for the first time. Based on the PET mechanism, DA turns-on the fluorescence to yellow-green after specifically binds to Au³⁺, and the reaction is completed within 5 min. The detection limit is as low as 27.60 nM. Simultaneously, DA achieved qualitative and quantitative detection of Au³⁺ in environmental water samples, and fluorescence imaging of Au³⁺ in biological cells.

Keywords: Au(3+); Dicoumarin; Dimethyl thiocarbamate; Fluorescence imaging; Fluorescent probe.