A coumarin-based colorimetric chemosensor 1 was designed and synthesized. It exhibits good sensitivity and selectivity for the copper cation over other cations such as Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Co(2+), Fe(2+), Ni(2+), Ag(+), and alkali and alkaline earth metal cations both in aqueous solution and on paper-made test kits. The change in color is very easily observed by the naked eye in the presence of Cu(2+) cation, whereas other metal cations do not induce such a change. The quantitative detection of Cu(2+) was preliminarily examined.

Two series of new tetracyclic pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-based coumarin chromophores were synthesized through a facile reaction between 3-aldehyde-7-diethylaminocoumarin (5) or 3-acetyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin (6) and 5-aminopyrazole derivatives (7) in a one-pot procedure. Different condensed products were obtained from compounds 5 and 6, and the potential reaction mechanism was studied using the reaction of 5 with 5-amino-1-phenylpyrazole (7a). The molecular structures were characterized by NMR and HRMS and confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The photophysical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of these compounds were investigated by absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, single photon counting technique, cyclic voltammetry, thermogravimetric analysis, etc. Results show that the compounds exhibited high fluorescence quantum yields and good electrochemical, thermal, and photochemical stabilities. In addition, the application of these highly fluorescent compounds in living cell imaging was also explored by laser scanning confocal microscopy.

A coumarin-derived complex, Hg(2)L(2), was reported as a highly sensitive and selective probe for the detection of mercapto biomolecules in aqueous solution. The addition of Cys to a 99% aqueous solution of Hg(2)L(2) resulted in rapid and remarkable fluorescence OFF-ON (emission at 525 nm) due to the ligand-exchange reaction of Cys with L coordinated to Hg(2+). The increased fluorescence can be completely quenched by Hg(2+) and recovered again by the subsequent addition of Cys. Such a fluorescence OFF-ON circle can be repeated at least 10 times by the alterative addition of Cys and Hg(2+) to the solution of Hg(2)L(2), indicating that it can be used as a convertible and reversible probe for the detection of Cys. The interconversion of Hg(2)L(2) and L via the decomplexation/complexation by the modulation of Cys/Hg(2+) was definitely verified from their crystal structures. Other competitive amino acids without a thiol group cannot induce any fluorescence changes, implying that Hg(2)L(2) can selectively determine mercapto biomolecules. Using confocal fluorescence imaging, L/Hg(2)L(2) as a pair of reversible probes can be further applied to track and monitor the self-detoxification process of Hg(2+) ions in SYS5 cells.

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