A two-photon fluorogenic probe based on a coumarin schiff base for formaldehyde detection in living cells

A novel two-photon fluorogenic probe has been developed to detect formaldehyde with fast response, low cytotoxicity, and excellent selectivity. This probe exhibits a strong turn-on fluorescence response to formaldehyde under excitation at 370 nm and has been successfully applied to detect formaldehyde in living cells. Theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d,p), APFD/6-311++G, and APFD/6-311 + G(2d,p) levels of theory for the absorption and emission wavelengths of the probes were in agreement with those obtained experimentally.