Anthracene excimer-based "turn on" fluorescent sensor for Cr(3+) and Fe(3+) ions: Its application to living cells.

A novel anthracene based fluorescent probe containing benzothiazole group (BFA) was designed and synthesized. The cation binding properties of BFA were studied in the presence of various cations. Both UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopic studies indicated that BFA was highly sensitive and selective toward trivalent cations (Cr(3+) and Fe(3+)), while there was no response to monovalent, divalent cations and also Al(3+) ion. The interaction of BFA with Cr(3+) and Fe(3+) caused a significant enhancement in emission intensity due to the combination of a unique anthracenyl static excimer formation, the restricted C=N isomerization and the suppression of highly efficient photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process. The detection limits of BFA for Cr(3+) and Fe(3+) were 0.46 and 0.45µM, which presented a pronounced sensitivity toward Cr(3+) and Fe(3+), respectively. Also, possible utilization of BFA as bio-imaging fluorescent probe to detect Cr(3+) and Fe(3+) in human prostate cancer cell lines was observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy.