Development of a bisphenol A based chemosensor for Al and its application in cell imaging and plant root imaging.

Bisphenol A is a fluorophoric platform that is used to develop chemosensors for various species. Herein, we report a bisphenol A based Schiff-base molecule, 4,4'-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(2-(()-((2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)imino)methyl)phenol) (Me-HL), as a selective chemosensor for Al. Among the several metal ions, it shows a significant increment in its fluorescence intensity (50 fold) at 535 nm in the presence of Al ions. The enhanced fluorescence was attributed to the CHEFF mechanism and inhibition of CN isomerization. The limit of detection value of Me-HL for Al was determined to be 9.65 μM. Its quantum yield and lifetime increased considerably in the presence of the cation. Some theoretical calculations were performed to explain the interaction between Al and the probe. Furthermore, Me-HL was applied in cell imaging studies using animal cells and plant roots.