Al3+ selective colorimetric and fluorescent red shifting chemosensor: application in living cell imaging

We report the development of a fluorescent probe based on the benzothiazole unit to monitor intracellular Al3+ levels in living cells. The fluorescent probe exhibits a fluorescence response towards Al3+ under physiological conditions with high sensitivity and selectivity and even facilitates naked-eye detection of Al3+. The fluorescence intensity was significantly quenched with red shifting upon addition of 0.5 equiv. of Al3+. The simple and cost effective receptor avails rapid detection of Al3+ ions at concentrations as low as 0.42 mu M and is expected to be effective for the design of efficient biological sensor.