Abstract Excessive levels of Co2+ in the environment can cause serious diseases to humans and affect the growth of crops. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective methods for monitoring… Click to show full abstract
Abstract Excessive levels of Co2+ in the environment can cause serious diseases to humans and affect the growth of crops. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective methods for monitoring Co2+. In the present work, a novel, low-toxic fluorescent probe, PEPA, for the rapid and efficient detection of Co2+ is synthesized. PEPA shows high sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 0.104 μM and a fast response to Co2+ ( N group and the pyrazine ring of PEPA, resulting in the enhancement of fluorescence. In addition, the recognition process of Co2+ can be realized with the naked eye (i.e., a color change from colorless to blue fluorescence). The successful detection of Co2+ in test strips and environmental water samples provides strong support for its application potential. Interestingly, the recovery rate of Co2+ detected by PEPA can reach 93% after being recovered four times. Importantly, PEPA was suitable for the fluorescence imaging of exogenous Co2+ in HeLa cells.
               
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