A biomimetic fluorescent chemosensor for highly sensitive zinc(ii) detection and its application for cell imaging.

To fabricate a novel biomimetic fluorescent chemosensor, PSaAEMA- co -PMPC was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization, and this copolymer could be used for the detection of zinc(ii) and cell imaging. A series tests with various metal ions verified the specific fluorescence response behavior. This novel biomimetic fluorescent chemosensor exhibits excellent selectivity for Zn 2+ ions over a wide range of tested metal ions in an aqueous solution. Moreover, cytotoxicity and bio-imaging tests were conducted to study the potential bio-application of the chemosensor. Owing to the biomimetic portion (phosphorylcholine), this copolymer possesses outstanding biocompatibility and could clearly image cells. The results indicated that PSaAEMA- co -PMPC has great potential for application in zinc(ii) detection and cell imaging.