A near-infrared emissive Al(3+) sensing platform for specific detection in solution, cells and probing DNase activity.

A new tricarbocyanine-based chemosensor exhibited a dramatic Al(3+)-specific fluorescence turn-on response in the near-infrared (NIR) region. The receptor was found to be highly selective towards Al(3+) over other metal ions in physiological condition. The sensor was non-toxic and could thus be employed as an imaging probe for detecting intracellular Al(3+) in live cells. Interestingly, upon interaction with DNA in solution, the L-Al(3+) ensemble rendered tracking of DNase activity in solution through a systematic reduction in the fluorescence emission intensity.