A Carbamoyl Oxime-Based Highly Specific Fluorescent Chemodosimeter for Monitoring Labile Fe²⁺ in Food and Living...

Iron is an essential element in the composition of living organisms and plays a crucial role in a wide range of biological activities. The human body primarily obtains essential iron through the consumption of food. Therefore, it is vital for the health of human body to maintain iron homeostasis. The reducing character of the cellular microenvironment enables Fe²⁺ to occupy a dominant position within the cell. Hence, there is an urgent need for a simple and sensitive tool that can detect a large amount of Fe²⁺ in organisms. In this work, a highly specific fluorescent chemodosimeter NPCO ("NP" represents the naphthalimide fluorophore, and "CO" represents the carbamoyl oxime structure) for the detection of Fe²⁺ with excellent sensitivity (LOD = 82 nM) was constructed by incorporating a novel carbamoyl oxime structure as the recognition group. NPCO can be effectively employed for the detection of Fe²⁺ in food samples, living cells, and zebrafish. Furthermore, by using soybean sprouts as a model plant, the application of NPCO was expanded to detect Fe²⁺ in plants. Therefore, NPCO could be used as an excellent assay tool for detecting Fe²⁺ in organisms and is expected to be an important aid in exploring the mechanism of iron regulation.