Cu2+-selective fluorescent chemosensor based on coumarin and its application in bioimaging

A new fluorescent sensor L1 based on coumarin was synthesized. It shows high sensitivity and selectivity toward Cu2+ in aqueous solution. The complexation mode and corresponding quenching mechanism were elucidated by ESI-MS and DFT calculations. In addition, biological imaging studies have demonstrated that L1 can detect Cu2+ in living cells.