New series of indole-based chemosensors; isomeric Iheyamines 5a–5c were synthesized and their fluorescence sensing behaviors toward various metal ions in aqueous buffer systems (90% HEPES buffered/MeOH, pH 7.2) were explored. The results revealed that isomeric Iheyamine 5a–5c could act as Fe2+ and Fe3+ chemosensors, in which their sensitivity and selectivity for Fe2+ and Fe3+ sensing depended on their substituent on benzene ring at position 5. The isomeric Iheyamine 5c containing electron withdrawing group exhibited nonselective toward Fe2+ and Fe3+ and its sensitivity toward Fe2+ and Fe3+ was much lower than those of 5a and 5b. For the isomeric Iheyamine 5a, it exhibited “turn-off” fluorescent response upon the addition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ with the discrimination of other metal ions such as Hg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Al3+, Ag+, Pb2+, Cr2+, Ni2+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Li+, Co2+, Na+, Ba2+, Cd2+ and Mn2+. Moreover, although the isomeric Iheyamine 5b showed higher sensitivity than 5a, the Fe2+ and Fe3+ binding of 5b could be interfered by Cu2+. In addition, the Fe2+ could be completely oxidized to Fe3+ by simple H2O2 oxidation, consequently, the total concentration of Fe could be determined. The detection limits of isomeric Iheyamines 5a and 5b for Fe3+ were found to be 0.12 ppm and 0.03 ppm, respectively, which were lower than the maximum allowed level of Fe3+ in drinking water specified U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, isomeric Iheyamine 5b showed the potential for the detection of Fe3+ in HeLa cellular system and could be the good candidate for Fe3+ sensor used in biological system.
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