Competition-Free Fluorogenic Detection of Al3+ by a Chromone-Naphthalene Conjugate: A Spectroscopic Exploration Supported by DFT Calculations with Cell Imaging

We report a novel probe (12E)-N'-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl) methylene)-2-naphthohydrazide (CN) obtained by the condensation between 3-formyl chromone and 2-naphthalene-carboxyhydrazide. CN can efficiently detect Al3+ in ethanol: water mixture (ethanol: water = 4: 6(v/v)) by a sharp increment in emission intensity. Interestingly, the sensing phenomenon is unaffected by any competing cation/anion present in solution alongside Al3+. CN is capable of detecting Al3+ to the lowest limit of similar to 10(-8) M. The same shows a 2: 1 binding pattern with Al3+ with an association constant of 6.033104 M-2. DFT calculations have been performed on CN and CN-Al complex. The practical utility of CN has been explored by successful cell imaging of Al3+ in MDA-MB 468 cells.