Development of a highly selective cell-permeable ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for oxorhenium(V) ion

A novel 6-(2-pyridinyl)-5,6-dihydrobenzimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline (HL) serves as a first-time highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor probe for oxorhenium (ReO(V)) ion in acetonitrile : water = 9 : 1 (v/v) at 25 °C. The decrease in fluorescence at 410 nm and increase in fluorescence at 478 nm with an isoemissive point at 444 nm in the presence of ReO(V) ion is accounted for by the formation of mononuclear [ReOL(2)Cl] complex, characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic tools. The fluorescence quantum yield of the chemosensor (HL) was only 0.198 at 410 nm, and it increased more than 3-fold in the presence of 2 equiv. of the ReO(V) ion at 478 nm. Interestingly, the introduction of other metal ions and relevant anions caused the fluorescence intensity at 478 nm to be either unchanged or weakened. The fluorescence-response fits a Hill coefficient of 2.088 indicates the formation of a 1 : 2 stoichiometry for the L-ReO(V) complex. In the concentration range of 0-20 μM of oxorhenium(V) species calibration graph was linear with correlation coefficient (R) of 0.99994 and the calibration sensitivity was found to be 4.0 × 10(-7) M. The cellular image in the confocal microscope clearly indicated the presence of ReO(V) in Candida albicans cells using this chemosensor (HL).