ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

A significant fluorescence turn-on and UV-ratiometric detection of Al³⁺ and its application in real water samples and live-cell imaging

Guimei Huang, Guiying Hu, Yanfei Qin, Zhiqian Liang, Zhiyong Xing, Yuting Ban, Chaoli Liao, and Chuanbin Fan

School of Medical Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China

E-mail: zyxing@ymun.edu.cn

Received: 6 March 2026  Accepted: 20 April 2026

Abstract:

A novel benzothiazole–naphthalene conjugated probe BMHMA was rationally synthesized and characterized for selective Al³⁺ detection. In DMF/H₂O (1:1, v/v), BMHMA exhibited an approximately 190-fold fluorescence enhancement with a distinct naked-eye color change from dark blue to bright blue upon Al³⁺ addition. A 1:1 binding stoichiometry was verified by Job’s plot, offering a low LOD of 11.8 nM. Notably, BMHMA enabled reliable Al³⁺ determination in real water samples, portable paper-based assays, and cellular imaging. This work provides a high-performance visualizable probe with promising practical potential for environmental monitoring and biological Al³⁺ analysis.

Keywords: Fluorescence probe; Al3+; A549; Real sample; Cell image

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04938-8

Chemical Papers 80 (8) 9107–9121 (2026)