A highly sensitive C3-symmetric Schiff-base fluorescent probe for Cd2+.

A new C3-symmetric Schiff-base fluorescent probe (L) based on 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline has been developed. As expected, the probe L can display high fluorescent selectivity for Cd(2+) over Zn(2+) and most other common ions in neutral ethanol aqueous medium. Moreover, the mechanism of the L-Cd(2+) complex has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography and density functional theory calculation results. More importantly, L could be used to image Cd(2+) within living cells.