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A highly effective “turn-on” camphor-based fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive detection and its biological imaging of Fe2+

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Abstract

In this work, a novel fluorescent probe CBO was synthesized for detecting Fe2+ using the natural monoterpenketone camphor as the starting material. The probe CBO displayed turn-on fluorescence to Fe2+ accompanied by the solution change from colorless to green. As expected, there was an excellent linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity of probe CBO and the concentration of Fe2+ (0–20 μM), and the detection limit was as low as 1.56×10−8 M. In particular, CBO could selectively sense Fe2+ more than other analytes (Fe3+ included) through the N-oxide strategy, and quickly responded to Fe2+ (60 s) over a wide pH (4–14) range. Additionally, based on the rapid fluorescence response of CBO to Fe2+, a simple test strip-based detector was designed for boosting practical applicability. The probe CBO had been successfully applied to the fluorescence imaging of Fe2+ in onion cells and living zebrafish. The probe CBO was a powerful tool of detecting Fe2+ level in organisms, which was of significance to understand the role of Fe2+ in Fe2+-related physical processes and diseases.

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Funding

This work received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32071707).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, College of Light Industry and Food, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China

    Yueyin Liang, Yan Zhang, Mingxin Li, Zhiyuan Meng, Yu Gao, Jie Yin, Yiqin Yang, Zhonglong Wang & Shifa Wang

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  1. Yueyin Liang
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  2. Yan Zhang
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  3. Mingxin Li
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  4. Zhiyuan Meng
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  8. Zhonglong Wang
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Correspondence to Zhonglong Wang or Shifa Wang.

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All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethical Committee of the Medical School of Southeast University and conducted in strict accordance with the National Care and use of Laboratory Animals by the National Animal Research Authority (China).

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Liang, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, M. et al. A highly effective “turn-on” camphor-based fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive detection and its biological imaging of Fe2+. Anal Bioanal Chem 413, 6267–6277 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03581-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03581-4

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