A Highly Selective and Sensitive Rhodamine-Derived Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Cu 2+

A novel water-soluble and reversible fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized based on a rhodamine B derivative. It was used for detection of Cu2 + in drinking water and in living cells with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. The tested concentration range and the limit of detection (LOD) of the probe were 0–15.00 μmol L− 1 and 0.085 μmol L− 1, respectively. In addition, the mode of binding and mechanism of interaction between the probe and Cu2 + were analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.