A colorimetric and fluorescent probe for selective sensing and imaging of hydrogen polysulfides

A colorimeric and fluorescent probe QLB-CF has been developed for the highly sensitive and specific imaging of hydrogen polysuldes (H2Sn, n > 1). Its selective fluorometric/colorimetric sensing of H2Sn was demonstrated in detail. Upon addition of H2Sn, the probe exhibited fast response to H2Sn along with a remarkable color change from colorless to yellow which could be easily observed by the naked eye. Similarly, the probe exhibited fluorescence response to H2Sn, with approximately 7-fold fluorescence enhancement and the fluorescence color change from none to cyan. In addition, the probe displayed high selectivity towards H2Sn among various analytes. What's more, the probe has been successfully applied to exogenous H2Sn detection and imaging in living cells, allowing us to visualize its sensing potential application in living cells.