Imaging of intracellular bisulfate based on sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probes.

Abstract

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an environmental pollutant in the atmosphere which is easily absorbed by the human body. After being inhaled in the body, SO2 is quickly converted into bisulfite (HSO3-), forming a balance in which SO2 and HSO3- coexist in the body status. A large number of epidemiological studies have shown that abnormal levels of sulfite and bisulfite are related to the appearance of numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis, essential hypertension, and lung tissue fibrosis. Therefore, it is essential to develop an effective method to detect bisulfite. In this work, starting from 4-bromonaphthalene-1-carbonitrile, three uncomplicated but efficient HSO3- sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probes HNIC, CIVP and HVIC were designed and synthesized through ICT mechanism and the Michael-type addition reaction. The probes can image HSO3- in living cells. The probes not only have good fluorescence stability and strong anti-interference ability, but also display mitochondrial targeting ability.