A Novel Multi-Functional Fluorescence Probe for the Detection of Al3+/Zn2+/Cd2+ and its Practical Applications.

A novel multi-functional fluorescence probe <bold>HMIC</bold> based on hydrazide Schiff base has been successfully synthesized and characterized. It can distinguish Al3+/Zn2+/Cd2+ in ethanol, in which fluorescence emission with different colors (blue for Al3+, orange for Zn2+, and green for Cd2+) were presented. The limits of detection of <bold>HMIC</bold> towards three ions were calculated from the titration curve as 7.70 × 10− 9 M, 4.64 × 10− 9 M, and 1.35 × 10− 8 M, respectively. The structures of <bold>HMIC</bold> and its complexes were investigated using UV-Vis spectra, Job’s plot, infrared spectra, mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR and DFT calculations. Practical application studies have also demonstrated that <bold>HMIC</bold> can be applied to real samples with a low impact of potential interferents. Cytotoxicity and cellular imaging assays have shown that <bold>HMIC</bold> has good cellular permeability and potential antitumor effects. Interestingly, <bold>HMIC</bold> can image Al3+, Zn2+ and Cd2+ in the cells with different fluorescence signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]