Lowest aqueous picomolar fluoride ions and in vivo aluminum toxicity detection by an aluminum(iii) binding chemosensor

Aluminum toxicity in biological systems is a well-known issue yet remains as a prevalent and unsolvable problem due to the lack of proper molecular tools that can detect free aluminum(iii) or Al(iii) ions in vivo. Herein, we report a water-soluble photo-induced electron transfer (PET)-based turn-ON/OFF fluorometric chemosensor for the dual detection of Al(iii) and fluoride ions in aqueous media with a nanomolar (similar to 1.7 x 10(-9) M) and picomolar (similar to 2 x 10(-12) M, lowest ever detection so far) detection limit, respectively. Fluoride ions in sea water could be detected as well as the recognition of non-contamination in drinking water. In addition, using live-cell microscopy, Al(iii) ions were detected in live biological samples in vivo to aid establishing the aluminum-toxicity effect.

Automated summary

A water-soluble photo-induced electron transfer-based chemosensor has been developed for the dual detection of Al(iii) and fluoride ions, with very low detection limits, suitable for applications in sea water and drinking water, and has successfully detected Al(iii) ions in live biological samples.