Design and synthesis of functionalized rhodamine based probes for specific intracellular fluorescence imaging of Fe3+

Two functionalized rhodamine based probes have been rational designed and synthesized. The probes have sufficiently high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Fe3+ ion both by fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy with strong ability of anti-interference performance. The detection process has been shown to be reversible and involves the fluoran ring-opening upon complexation with Fe3+. The obvious fluorescence image obtained from confocal laser scanning microscopy of the detection of Fe3+ in living L929 cells demonstrate that the probes could contribute to significant breakthroughs in understanding the critically important functions of Fe3+ in related cells and biological organs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.