A highly selective fluorescent probe for fast detection of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous solution and living cells

摘要

A new ratiometric fluorescence probe El based on an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanism for detection of hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) is reported. El responds to H_2S quickly and showed a 30-fold fluorescence enhancement in 2 minutes. Moreover, El can detect H_2S quantitatively with a detection limit as low as 0.12 μM in aqueous solution. Its potential for biological applications was confirmed by employing it for fluorescence imaging of H_2S in living cells.