A review on organic small-molecule fluorescent probes for gallium(Ⅲ) ion

Abstract

Gallium metal and gallium compounds play significant roles in industry and medicine; however, their pollution and residue can pose potential risks to plants, animals and human health. Moreover, accurately detecting Ga3+ during tumor treatment holds great clinical significance. Therefore, it is crucial to reliably determine the content of Ga3+ in environmental and biological samples. Organic small-molecule fluorescence probe technology offers high selectivity and sensitivity, rapid detection speed, and non-destructive in situ bioimaging capabilities, making it an ideal approach for Ga3+ detection. Numerous reported probes for detecting Ga3+ highlight the immense application potential of fluorescence probes in this field. However, due to limited development of Ga3+-specific fluorescence probes thus far, several challenges associated with their design and development remain. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the performance achieved by Ga3+ fluorescence probes, while addressing existing issues and proposing corresponding solutions. Additionally, future directions for developing highly efficient Ga3+ fluorescence probes are outlined as valuable references.