Novel triazole-based fluorescent probes for Pd2+ in aqueous solutions: design, theoretical calculations and imaging

Abstract

The first triazole-containing fluorescent probe with excellent water-solubility for Pd²⁺ was presented. The results indicated that an amide–triazole–amide binding sequence was responsible for the unique affinity of PS-1 toward Pd²⁺. Among the tested metal ions, only Pd²⁺ could selectively quench the fluorescence of PS-1 under physiological conditions, while other common interference ions like Pt²⁺ and Ru³⁺ caused little changes. The successful fluorescence imaging of Pd²⁺ in HeLa cells implied the potential applications of PS-1 in biological Pd²⁺-analysis.