A cytoplasm-applicative aggregation-induced fluorescent probe for detecting hydrogen sulfide and imaging study

Herein, a cytoplasm-applicative aggregation-induced fluorescent probe Pyr-HS was developed for detecting H 2 S in living cells and C. elegans . The trials were carried out to utilize the aggregation-induced strategy to realize the wide linear range as well as cytoplasm-applicative imaging capability. In-solution tests suggested that Pyr-HS responded to H 2 S with notable fluorescence enhancement and naked-eye observed color change. The detecting product Pyr-OH exhibited the obvious aggregation to form crystal clusters. By coupling the correlation curves, the linear range of the detecting system was extended to 0 -1500 mu M, with the LOD value of 0.4481 mu M. The PyrHS has high sensitivity and selectivity. With low cyto-toxicity, Pyr-HS achieved the imaging of both the exogenous and endogenous H 2 S in living cells and Caenorhabditis elegans . The aggregation of the detecting product locked the fluorescence signals in the cytoplasm, which was a potential cytoplasm-applicative imaging pattern. This work was informatic with the aggregation-induced strategy in introducing the wide linear range and cytoplasm-applicative imaging.