Abstract
The monitoring of Cu2+ levels in living cells has attracted increasing interest, however, the techniques used often suffer from interference from Hg2+. In the present study, we synthesized mesoporous silica nanospheres modified with a rhodamine B derivative containing a thiourea group to be used as a chemodosimeter-functionalized nanoprobe for the detection of Cu2+. This system is expected to offer selective detection of Cu2+ over Hg2+, as these ions react differently with the rhodamine derivative. This chemodosimeter-functionalized nanoprobe was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray diffraction, and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms. The nanoprobe's response to metal cations was investigated using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Addition of Hg2+ or Cu2+ induced a significant solution color change (colorless to purple) and an enhancement in fluorescence of the nanoprobe, even in the presence of other cations in aqueous media. Cu2+-promoted ring-opening and hydrolysis of rhodamine led to the release of rhodamine from the mesoporous nanospheres, while this reaction is not observed in the presence of Hg2+, allowing effective discrimination of these ions through a simple centrifugation treatment. The living cell imaging experiments further demonstrate its value in bioimaging intracellular Cu2+ by virtue of its water solubility, membrane permeability, and nontoxic nature.
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