Three selective and sensitive “off–on” probes based on rhodamine for Fe3+ imaging in living cells

Abstract

Three novel rhodamine-based probes were designed and synthesized. The probes exhibited highly selective and sensitive recognition toward Fe3+ over other metal ions via the rhodamine ring-opening approach, which can be used for “naked-eyes” detection. In addition, fluorescence imaging experiments of Fe3+ in living cells demonstrated their valuable application in biological system.