An Indole-Based Fluorescent Chemosensor for Detecting Zn2+ in Aqueous Media and Zebrafish

Abstract

An indole-based fluorescent chemosensor <b>IH-Sal</b> was synthesized to detect Zn²⁺. <b>IH-Sal</b> displayed a marked fluorescence increment with Zn²⁺. The detection limit (0.41 μM) of <b>IH-Sal</b> for Zn²⁺ was greatly below that suggested by the World Health Organization. <b>IH-Sal</b> can quantify Zn²⁺ in real water samples. More significantly, <b>IH-Sal</b> could determine and depict the presence of Zn²⁺ in zebrafish. The detecting mechanism of <b>IH-Sal</b> toward Zn²⁺ was illustrated by fluorescence and UV-visible spectroscopy, DFT calculations, ¹H NMR titration and ESI mass.