Recent developments in the bioimaging and chemosensing applications of rhodamine derivatives for metal ions detection: A review

Rhodamine derivatives have garnered extensive attention in recent years due to their significant sensing properties and structural adaptability, making them indispensable tools in sensing applications for the detection of different analytes. The ability to selectively interact with target species, coupled with their high sensitivity and rapid response, has positioned rhodamine derivatives as key components in the development of novel chemosensors for various applications in biomedical diagnostics, pharmaceutical analysis, and environmental monitoring. In addition, rhodamine derivatives have garnered significant interest in recent years due to their remarkable fluorescence properties and structural versatility, making them invaluable tools in visualizing cellular structures and processes. In this study, we review the advancements in rhodamine-based chemosensors for metal ion detection such as Cu2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Ag+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Cr3+, Fe2+, Ni2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, etc. and their applications in bioimaging, focusing on developments from 2021 to 2024. Also examines the sensing mechanisms of rhodamine derivatives toward the these metal ions. Additionally, the versatility of rhodamine derivatives in designing chemosensors for bioimaging applications of these cations in various live cells such as MCF7, HeLa, HEK293T, HepG2, L929, U-87, MIA PaCa-2, SiHa, HCT-116, A549, L6, MC3T3 and plant root tissues as well as in lampfishes, zebrafishes, drosophila, caenorhabditis elegans and adult mice are discussed.