Rhodamine based effective chemosensor for Chromium(III) and their application in live cell imaging

A novel easily available off-on fluorescent and colorimetric probe based on rhodamine was synthesized. It showed selective and sensitive recognition toward Cr(3+)in aqueous medium, with no significant interference of other competitive metal ions. The observed photophysical changes is due to the operation if internal charge transfer after addition of Cr(III) ions to the probe. Density functional calculations (DFT) supported the observed UV vis absorption and fluorescence emission changes. Furthermore, the probe has been utilized for fluorescence imaging of Cr3+ in HeLa cells under physiological conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.