A fluorescent probe based on Ir(III) solvent complex for specific recognition of histidine in aqueous solution and the application in cell imaging

To develop novel fluorescent probes for detecting endogenous histidine (His) plays significant roles in physiological and pathological fields. Herein, a non-emissive Ir(III) complex [Ir(C–N)2(CH3CN)2]+NO3− (IrCN, C–N represents 2-phenylpyridine derivative) has been demonstrated to be a reaction-based fluorescent probe for the recognition of His in HEPES buffer. It is found that IrCN can selectively detect His with a distinct “turn-on”...