A Highly Efficient BODIPY Based Turn-off Fluorescent Probe for Detecting Cu²

Based on boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY), taking 2-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzamide as recognition site, a new fluorescent probe HHPBA-BODIPY aimed at sensitively detecting Cu ions was designed, synthesized and characterized.The emission spectra of HHPBA-BODIPY exhibited an intensive green fluorescence around 510 nm, with a maximum absorption near 500 nm. When Cu²⁺ ions are present, the fluorescence at 510 nm can be quenched with a good linearity between the copper ion concentrationand the fluorescence intensity and the detection limit is 0.35 μM. HHPBA-BODIPY is also selective toward Cu²⁺, while other metal ions show no interfere except Fe³⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions. In addition, HHPBA-BODIPY also proved efficient to detect Cu²⁺ in water samples which offers the possibility to detect trace amount of Cu²⁺ for environmental monitoring. Copper ions; BODIPY; fluorescent probe.