A fluorescein derivative FLTC as a chemosensor for Hg2 + and Ag+ and its application in living-cell imaging.

FLTC was synthesized and used as a fluorescent chemosensor to detect Hg 2 + . It showed high selectivity toward Hg 2 + over many heavy metal ions in an ethanol–H 2 O (3:2, v/v, HEPES buffer, 0.5 mM, pH 7.15) solution with a detection limit of 0.21 μM. After complexation with Hg 2 + , FLTC showed extremely high selectivity toward Ag + with a detection limit of 0.009 μM. Therefore, detection of Hg 2 + and Ag + could be realized using FLTC and the FLTC–Hg 2 + complex, respectively. Cytotoxicity assays and fluorescence microscopy analysis showed that FLTC could be used as a fluorescent probe to detect Hg 2 + and Ag + in L-02 human liver cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]