A “turn on” fluorometric and colorimetric probe based on vinylphenol-BODIPY for selective detection of Au(III) ion in solution and in living cells

Abstract In this work, borondipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorescent and colorimetric probe SBP has been explored as a sensor for selective detection of Au3+. The probe SBP containing two vinyl phenol groups at C3 and C5 position on BODIPY pyrrole rings is prepared to extend its emission wavelength into the red region (656 nm) and also to serve as a new receptor toward Au3+. The probe displayed colorimetric change from blue to pink and fluorometric change from red to orange (up to 40-fold at 590 nm) in aqueous medium, with the detection limit of 0.0094 μM. This colorimetric and fluorometric changes are caused by the oxidation of the double bond in the SBP facilitating by hydroxy group which is confirmed by detected intermediates from mass spectroscopy experiment. In addition, the “turn on” SBP probe is successfully applied for monitoring intercellular Au3+ in living RAW264.7 macrophages through fluorescence imaging.