A novel fluorescent BODIPY-based probe for detection of Cu2+ and H2S based on displacement approach.

We designed and synthesized a novel BODIPY-based fluorescent probe for sequential detection of Cu2+ and H 2 S based on displacement approach. Furthermore, the probe BC-DPA was successfully applied to detect Cu2+ in living cells on the basis of its noticeable permeability and low cytotoxicity. • A novel Cu2+ fluorescent probe employing BODIPY as fluorophore and DPA as Cu2+ chelator, named BC-DPA , was synthesized. • BC-DPA-Cu2+ can be used to detect H 2 S based on the Cu2+ displacement approach. • BC-DPA successfully detected the fluctuating concentration of Cu2+ in living cells. A new BODIPY-based fluorescent probe (BC-DPA) was prepared by a simple method for Cu2+ detection in aqueous media and living cells. BC-DPA displayed excellent selectivity toward Cu2+ via fluorescence "turn-off" mode when a mononuclear Cu(Ⅱ) complex is formed. The corresponding BC-DPA-Cu(Ⅱ) complex, whose structure was characterized by X-ray crystallography, has Cu(Ⅱ) in a distorted octahedral geometry. On the basis of the displacement approach, the fluorescence of BC-DPA-Cu2+ was recovered in the presence of S2-, which allowed the system to act as a sensitive "turn-on" sensor for hydrogen sulfide. Furthermore, BC-DPA exhibited noticeable permeability and low cytotoxicity, making it a useful tool to detect Cu2+ in biosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]