Metal ion detection using a fluorogenic ‘click’ reaction

A fluorogenic Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) of 3-azido-7-hydroxycoumarin has been used to detect metal ions in solution. The formation of a highly fluorescent triazole product signals the presence of Cu(I) or Cu(II) ions at micromolar concentrations. CuAAC can be modified by using an exogenous ligand like EDTA to detect and quantify Zn(II), Ca(II), and Cd(II) ions at micromolar concentrations by an allosteric mechanism. The increase in the formation of the triazole product is regulated by the release of Cu(II) from the Cu(II)–EDTA complex by the addition of a second metal ion, the allosteric effector.