A fast-response, highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for the ratiometric imaging of hydrogen peroxide with a 100 nm red-shifted emission

Recently, growing attention has been paid to the accurate determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for elucidating its detailed biological function in physiology and pathology. A fluorescence method with the help of a fluorescent probe is the preferred technique for in situ visualization of biologically important species in vivo, even in single living cells. In the present manuscript, we developed a simple, fast response and highly selective fluorescent probe (1) with a receptor of the boronate moiety for the ratiometric imaging of H2O2 in living cells. Probe 1 could quantifiably detect H2O2 in the range of 18–540 μM by a ratiometric fluorescence spectroscopy method with a detection limit of 4 μM. Importantly, probe 1 exhibited 81 nm red-shifted absorption spectra accompanied by the color changes from colorless to yellow, and 100 nm red-shifted emission spectra upon addition of H2O2. Thus, 1 can serve as a “naked-eye” probe for H2O2. Preliminary bioimaging application and low cytotoxicity investigations further demonstrated that the proposed probe would be of great benefit to biomedical researchers for investigating the detailed biological function of H2O2 in biological systems.