Novel fluorene-based fluorescent probe with excellent stability for selective detection of SCN− and its applications in paper-based sensing and bioimaging

Abstract

SCN⁻ is one of the most important anions in metabolic processes. However, the investigation of SCN⁻ in living systems is restricted by the lack of stable functional molecular tools. Herein, the first fluorene-based polymer fluorescent probe V1 was synthesized through rational design. Compared with small molecule fluorescent probes, V1 exhibited excellent fluorescence stability in bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution. Furthermore, the V1-based paper sensor was highly selective toward SCN⁻ in aqueous solution. Significantly, these merits of the probe V1 enable the detection of SCN⁻ in different living cell lines and zebrafish.