A NIR fluorescent probe for the specific detection of hypochlorite and its application in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

It is of great necessity to exploit a real-time, highly selective and sensitive method for hypochlorite (ClO⁻) detection in both the environment and living systems because of the complex influence of ClO⁻ on health. In this paper, based on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect, a NIR fluorescent probe (probe DAB) was designed for the accurate detection of ClO⁻, which produced a fluorescence response to ClO⁻ with high selectivity and rapid response (within 1 min). The probe DAB could determine ClO⁻ over the linear range of 0–80 μM with a low detection limit of 1.46 μM. And the sensing mechanism between the probe and ClO⁻ was verified using HPLC and MS. To further prove its practicability, the probe was applied for detecting ClO⁻ in actual water samples. In addition, owing to its good sensing properties and low cytotoxicity, probe DAB could be expediently applied to visualize ClO⁻ in living cells and zebrafish, and it is expected to be a useful tool for investigating the detailed functions and mechanisms of ClO⁻ in living systems.