Synthesis, optical properties, determination and imaging in living cells and bamboo of cinnamaldehyde derivatives.

Two Schiff-base fluorescent probes (1 and 2) were directly synthesized from natural cinnamaldehyde, and they were characterized by FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, HRMS. Compound 1 had no fluorescence, while compound 2 could emit significant yellow fluorescence in solid and provide green light in solution. Probe 1 could selectively sense ClO- with a fluorescence enhancement, providing a good linear relationship between the fluoresence intensity and ClO- concentrations (0-5.5 × 10-5 mol/L), y = 175.64x-19.399, R2 = 0.9937, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 39.4 nM. Probe 2 was sensitive for Cu2+ by quenching with two linear relationships at the Cu2+ concentrations from 0 to 2.1 × 10-5 mol/L, LOD = 73.9 nM. Furthermore, live celluar imaging of human astrocytoma U-251 MG cells and human liver cancer cells (Hu-7) had achieved using the 1 + ClO- and 2, offering clear intracellular fluorescence. Finally, the 1 + ClO- and 2 could also be used to dye bamboo tissues for a good use. Thus, the cinnamaldehyde derivatives could be further used in the field of celluar and bamboo imaging.