Nanomolar fluorogenic detection of Al(III) by a series of Schiff bases in an aqueous system and their application in cell imaging.

Three positional isomers of a Schiff base containing -OH as end groups have been synthesized and evaluated for selective Al(III) detection due to inhibition of ESIPT, PET and activation of CHEF in 70% aqueous medium. Devoid of any conventional fluorophore, these sensors have nanomolar detection limits with high quantum yields and naked eye sensing of Al(III). Moreover, these probes have been demonstrated to enable the Al(III) detection in live human HeLa cells and rat C6 glioma cells using a confocal microscope.