A novel FRET 'off-on' fluorescent probe for the selective detection of Fe³⁺, Al³⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions: its ultrafast energy transfer kinetics and application in live cell imaging.

A rhodamine-naphthalimide dyad probe, 1, that selectively responds to the addition of trivalent metal ions (Fe(3+) or Al(3+) or Cr(3+)) via ultrafast Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from naphthalimide to rhodamine is designed and synthesized. 1 is highly selective to the trivalent metal ions and the presence of other monovalent or divalent metal ions do not affect its detection ability. The probe is highly sensitive and it can respond to the presence of trivalent metal ions even at sub-micromolar levels.

A naphthalimide based PET probe with Fe3+ selective detection ability: theoretical and experimental study.

A naphthalimide based fluorescent probe '1' that operates based on photoinduced electron transfer phenomenon is synthesized and its chemosensory application is explored. Among various metal ions, 1 selectively detects Fe(3+) with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10(-8) M.