Highly selective fluorescence detection of Cu<sup>2+</sup> based on Schiff base functionalized periodic mesoporous organosilicas
Meng Gao, Chenchen Xing, Xiaoping Jiang, Lijie Xu, Peihai Li, Chung‐Der Hsiao
Abstract
Abstract A novel copper ion sensing periodic mesoporous organosilica (SCN‐PMO) was obtained by incorporating a Schiff base‐based fluorescent receptor into the pore walls of mesoporous silica, which exhibited a well ordered mesoporous structure and excellent optical properties demonstrated by various characterization results. SCN‐PMO possessed high selectivity and sensitivity towards Cu 2+ based on its specific fluorescence response. The detection limit of SCN‐PMO could be as low as 6.7 × 10 −7 M. Due to protection of the silica network, SCN chromophores in PMOs exhibited higher photostability and the resulting material possessed great repeatability. Additionally, the fluorescence changes of SCN‐PMO towards copper ions in vivo (zebrafish) showed that SCN‐PMO has potential application as a nanoprobe in biological fields.