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Damai, Margarita, Ganguly, Priyanka, Joseph, Joshmi, Buckler Reinoso, Natalia, Bax, Chris, Sykes, Daniel and Patel, Bhaven (2026) Selective copper sensing and imaging with a pyrroloquinoxaline probe for biological and environmental applications. ChemistrySelect, 11 (28). pp. 1-11. ISSN 2365-6549
Copper is an essential trace element, but dysregulation of copper homeostasis is associated with significant biological and environmental consequences, necessitating sensitive and selective detection strategies for Cu 2+ . In this study, we report the design and synthesis of a pyrroloquinoxaline (PQ)‐based fluorescent probe for rapid detection of Cu 2+ ions in aqueous and biological media. PQ exhibits pronounced fluorescence quenching upon coordination with Cu 2+ , enabling sensitive detection with a low limit of detection suitable for trace‐level analysis. Spectroscopic studies confirm a 1:1 binding stoichiometry and provide insight into the coordination‐induced quenching. The probe displays a preferential response to Cu 2+ over competing metal ions and performs reliably in real water samples. Confocal fluorescence imaging further confirms the biocompatibility of PQ and its ability to monitor intracellular Cu 2+ levels in living cells. These results highlight pyrroloquinoxaline‐based scaffolds as promising platforms for Cu 2+ sensing in biological and environmental systems.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
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