A naphthalimide derivative-based fluorescent probe for selective detection of hydrogen peroxide and H2O2 vapor

Abstract

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is one of the most commonly used improvised explosive devices by terrorists. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) serves as a synthetic precursor and degradation product of peroxide-based TATP. Herein, a “turn-on” pattern H₂O₂-selective naphthalimide derivative fluorescent probe was synthesized and characterized, demonstrating high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of H₂O₂. The probe operates via a donor-excited photo-induced electron transfer (d-PET) mechanism, resulting in a 60-fold fluorescence enhancement in response to H₂O₂. As a result, the proposed probe can detect H₂O₂ within a linear range of 0 to 40 μM, with a detection limit of 59.6 nM. Notably, the probe was successfully employed for the rapid detection of H₂O₂ vapor with high sensitivity at concentrations below 10 ppb, yielding visible results to the naked eye. It has also been successfully used for cell imaging.