A turn-on fluorescent probe for sensing N2H4 in living cells, zebrafishes and plant root with a large turn-on fluorescence signal

Hydrazine (N2H4) plays an important role in industrial production, but it is highly toxic, leaking or exposing it will pollute the environment and cause serious harm to human beings. Therefore, it is necessary to use a simple and effective method to detect N2H4 in environmental systems and organisms. Herein, a novel water-soluble fluorescent probe based on coumarin fluorophore, 2-(7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (C-Z1), is reported. The fluorescence intensity of the probe at 530 nm was enhanced gradually with the addition of N2H4, and the maximum enhancement was about 28 times. The probe has good selectivity and sensitivity, the detection limit of hydrazine hydrate is 1.48 × 10−7 M, and the response mechanism of the probe is proved by theoretical calculation and experiment. C-Z1 has been shown to detect N2H4 in a variety of environmental samples, including water, soil, air, cells, zebrafish and plants. In addition, C-Z1 can be made into test strips for easy portability and used for rapid quantitative detection of N2H4 in the field by its distinct change in fluorescence color. Thus, C-Z1 has great potential for the analysis and detection of environmental contaminants.