A new water-soluble Fe3+ fluorescence sensor with a large Stokes shift based on [5]helicene derivative: Its application in flow injection analysis and biological systems

[Display omitted] •New Fe3+ fluorescence sensor was designed based on [5]helicene derivative with large Stokes shift (192 nm).•Sensor provides high selectivity to Fe3+ in the environmentally favorable solution (green solvent).•Sensor exhibits sensitive detection to Fe3+ with low DL (88 ppb) which is lower than the limit of WHO, and U.S. EPA.•Sensor applies as identifying agent for Fe3+ detection in biological sample.•Sensor with the flow injection analysis was performed for rapid detection of Fe3+. A new Fe3+ fluorescence sensor (M141) was successfully synthesized by conjugating a [5]helicene derivative with 1,3-propanesultone. M141 exhibited highly sensitive fluorescence quenching in the presence of Fe3+ with an extremely large Stokes shift of 192 nm which could reduce the analytical error. M141 also permitted the highly selective detection of Fe3+ over other competitive metal ions in aqueous buffer solution at physiological pH. The sensor had ability to dissolve in water which could benefit for the application involved biological system. Additionally, M141 was used to identify Fe3+ in human cancer cells and combined with flow injection analysis (FIA) to develop a method for potentially rapid Fe3+ determination with samples throughput of 30 samples h−1.