A new fluorescent sensor for Cd2+ and its application in living cells imaging

A novel, fluorescent sensor based on 2,7-dichlorofluorescein with aromatized diethylene triamine as ionophore was developed. Under physiological pH conditions, the sensor exhibited about 70-fold enhancement in fluorescence emission upon binding with Cd2+. It demonstrates that the sensor can be used to detect Cd2+ in aqueous solution and it was successfully applied to image Cd2+ in living cells.