A naphthalimide based PET probe with Fe3+ selective detection ability: theoretical and experimental study.

A naphthalimide based fluorescent probe '1' that operates based on photoinduced electron transfer phenomenon is synthesized and its chemosensory application is explored. Among various metal ions, 1 selectively detects Fe(3+) with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10(-8) M. 1 is stable at physiological pH, nontoxic under experimental conditions and suitable for the detection of Fe(3+) ions present in aqueous samples and live cells.