An “off-on-off” fluorescence probe based on isoborneol for real-time detection of Cd2+ and HPO42– in living cells and water samples

Cadmium ion (Cd²⁺) and phosphate hydrogen ion (HPO₄²⁻) are widely applied in our production and life, which are closely related to human health and environmental protection. Herein, leveraging the structural merits of isoborneol, a novel fluorescence probe IB-CdP has been designed and developed for sequential detection of Cd²⁺ and HPO₄²⁻. Upon interaction with Cd²⁺, IB-CdP exhibits a significant fluorescence enhancement at 530 nm, which is subsequently quenched by the addition of HPO₄²⁻. This probe achieves ultra-low detection limits (28.61 nM for Cd²⁺ and 30.89 nM for HPO₄²⁻) and rapid response times. In addition, practical applications results confirmed the reliability of probe IB-CdP in water samples analysis and cell imaging studies, demonstrating its extensive application in environmental monitoring and biomedical research.