A benzthiazole-based tripodal chemosensor for Ba2+ recognition under biological conditions

We synthesized a benzthiazole-based chemosensor with mixed S,N donor sites. The binding units are incorporated in a highly flexible tripodal framework which facilitates the complexation of the binding of larger-sized metals. The chemosensor resulted in the sensitive and selective recognition of Ba2+ through the enhancement of the fluorescence intensity when studied in a THF/H2O (8:2, v/v) solvent mixture. The sensor offers an interesting opportunity to monitor Ba2+ in biological samples including the cytoplasm of microbes such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae.