A Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe with a Large Stokes Shift for Detecting Hydrogen Sulfide in Environmental Waters, Wine Samples, and Living Systems

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is closely related to physiological diseases, environmental pollution, food safety, and plant growth. Herein, a new nopinone-based near-infrared fluorescent probe has been developed to detect H2S with superior performance, including a large Stokes shift, low detection limit, good selectivity, and fast response time. NPD-H2S was used to detect H2S in environmental water and wine samples quantitatively. In addition, NPD-H2S could be used to fabricate nanofiber membranes as a portable tool for sensitively detecting H2S vapor using a smartphone. Moreover, NPD-H2S has been effectively used to image H2S in HeLa cells, MCF-7 cells, and zebrafish. More importantly, the probe monitored the presence of H2S upregulation processes in Arabidopsis thaliana under salt stress by bioimaging. This work provides a concept for the intervention of external stresses in plant cultivation. Therefore, probe NPD-H2S can effectively monitor the fluctuation of H2S in the environment and living systems.