| Abstract: | Abstract : It is well known that copper ions play a critical role in various physiological processes. However, a variety of human diseases are tightly correlated with copper overload. Although there are numerous fluorescent probes capable of detecting copper ions, most of them are “turn‐off” probes owing to copper (II) ions fluorescence quenching effect, resulting in poor sensitivity. Herein, a novel “turn‐on” near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe PZ‐N based on phenoxazine was designed and synthesized for the selective detection of copper (II) ions (Cu2+). Upon the addition of Cu2+, the probe could quickly react with Cu2+ and emit strong fluorescence, along with colour change from colourless to obvious blue. Moreover, the probe PZ‐N showed good water solubility, high selectivity, and excellent sensitivity with low limit of detection (1.93 nM) towards copper (II) ions. More importantly, PZ‐N was capable of effectively detecting Cu2+ in living cells. |
