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Herein, a novel ferrocenyl pyrazoline–based organic gelator (Z) was synthesised and studied. Adding Z in various solvents could form stable organic gels, the state of which could be reversibly converted to the solution form from the gel form by heating or cooling. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that intermolecular hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and van der Waals interaction are the key to form organogels via the self-assembly of Z. The optical properties and fluorescence spectra of the compound were studied using ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. We found that the fluorescence of Z is highly selective and responsive to different metal ions, including Cu2+. Z was further used for intracellular imaging of living BHK-21 cells, showing excellent bioactivity and thereby, indicating its potential in broad applications. In addition, Z can respond to radiation, heating and vibration, thus giving the organic gel more stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]