“Turn-on” fluorescence sensing of cytosine: development of a chemosensor for quantification of cytosine in human cancer cells

Abstract

A simple new chemosensor, pyrene-appended 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid derivative (PIA), was developed and characterized for selective detection and quantification of cytosine in different human cancer cells. PIA shows “turn-on” fluorescence in presence of cytosine through intermolecular hydrogen bonding with a detection limit of 32 nM at neutral pH.