LAUSR

Abstract A novel ruthenium(II) polypyridine complex with an imidazole group linked with a conjugated structure has been synthesized and functioned as a novel luminescent probe for the quick and accurate detection of Cu2+. The coordination with Cu2+ resulted into the formation of stable cyclic structure which leads to luminescence quenching of RuL at the 621 nm. Under the optimal conditions, the linear concentration range was obtained from 0.25–12.0 μM and the corresponding detection limits were calculated to be 83.3 nM (S/N = 3) which is far lower than prescribed permissible limit by World Health Organization. The developed RuL luminescent probe has been applied for the detection of Cu2+ in environmental water sample successfully. Furthermore, the RuL probe applied in the cell imaging for detection of Cu2+, indicating its suitability for application in vivo. Thus, a simple and quick method has been established with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of Cu2+.