A new 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent sensor, with iminoacetic acid and iminoethoxyacetic acid as receptor, was developed. It was applied successfully to detect Zn2+ in aqueous solution and living cells. Under physiological pH conditions, it demonstrates high selectivity and sensitivity for sensing Zn2+ with about 7-fold enhancement in aqueous solution, with a characteristic emission band of 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide with a green color centered at 550 nm.
Keywords: Fluorescent sensor; Iminoacetic acid; Iminoethoxyacetic acid; Naphthalimide; Zinc.
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