Synthesis of a Cu(2+)-Selective Probe Derived from Rhodamine and Its Application in Cell Imaging

A new fluorescent probe P based on rhodamine for Cu(2+) was synthesized and characterized. The new probe P showed high selectivity to Cu(2+) over other tested metal ions. With optimal conditions, the proposed probe P worked in a wide linear range of 1.0 × 10(−6)−1.0 × 10(−5) M with a detection limit of 3.3 × 10(−7) M Cu(2+) in ethanol-water solution (9:1, v:v, 20 mM HEPES, pH 7.0). Furthermore, it has been used for imaging of Cu(2+) in living cells with satisfying results.