A novel isophorone-based fluorescent probe for recognizing Al3+ and its bioimaging in plants

Aluminium ions (Al³⁺) are widely present in industries and daily life and are closely related to human health and environmental protection. Therefore, it is crucial to detect their concentration. In this paper, a convenient and reliable small molecule fluorescent probe based on a dicyanoisophorone Schiff base and 2-pyridinecarbohydrazide has been developed. The probe is capable of selectively detecting Al³⁺ with the advantages of near-infrared emission (maximum emission wavelength of 625 nm), good selectivity, high sensitivity (detection limit of 2.18 × 10^-7 M) and fast response time (15 s). It has good potential for rapid detection and visual tracking of Al³⁺ in aqueous solutions and plant bodies.