NBD-based colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on probes for hydrogen sulfide

摘要

Hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) is an important endogenous signalling molecule and also an important environmental target for detection. New reaction-based colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on probes based on selective thiolyling of NBD (7-nitro-l,2,3-benzoxadiazole) ether were explored for sensing of H_2S in aqueous buffer. The syntheses of both probes are simple and quite straightforward. The probes are highly sensitive and selective toward H_2S over other biologically relevant species. Probe 1 can be used to directly visualize H_2S by the naked eye and shows more than 1000-fold fluorescence increase upon reaction with H_2S. Probe 2 is a near-infrared fluorescent sensor for H_2S at physiological pH.