A simple Golgi-targetable fluorescent probe with aggregation-induced emission for the visualization of hypochlorite in living cells, plants and animals

• A Golgi-targetable probe Cya with AIE effect was developed for detecting ClO − in almost aqueous solution. • Probe Cya exhibited rapid response (30 s), wide working pH range (3-12), low detection limit (0.57 μM) and high selectivity for ClO − detection. • Probe Cya can monitor ClO − in the GA of living cells, zebrafish and plants. Hypochlorite (ClO − ), one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays an important role in Golgi apparatus (GA) oxidative stress. This work developed an acrylonitrile-based sensor with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for detecting hypochlorite (ClO − ) in Golgi apparatus. This probe displayed strong blue AIE in an almost aqueous solution, which was quenched after adding ClO − . The reaction of the probe with ClO − was finished within 30 s, with the detection limit of 0.57 μM. The blocked AIE and the weak Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT) of ClO − -induced sulfoxide formation were responsible for the fluorescence quenching, which were fully assessed by EIS-MS, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR analysis as well as density functional theory calculation. Eventually, the sensor could be applied to track ClO − in GA of living cells, zebrafish and plants, demonstrating that Cya would be a powerful tool for monitoring ClO − in vivo .