Highly sensitive and selective turn-on fluorescent and chromogenic probe for Cu2+ and ClO- based on a N-picolinyl rhodamine B-hydrazide derivative.

A new rhodamine B-based dual-function chromo- and fluorogenic probe for Cu(2+) and ClO(-) has been designed, synthesized, and characterized. The probe comprises a spectroscopic unit of rhodamine B and a Cu(2+)-specific chelating unit of pyridinecarboxamide as well as a ClO(-)-specific reactive moiety of diacylhydrazine, and is a highly selective and extremely sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric sensor for Cu(2+) and ClO(-) in different pH conditions. Compared with the reported probes for Cu(2+) or ClO(-), this is the first chemosensor based on a small molecule that can detect both Cu(2+) and ClO(-), respectively, at 1 nM level.