Simple Strategy to Develop Multifunctional NIR Fluorescent Probes for Simultaneous Identification of H<sub>2</sub>S and SO<sub>2</sub>
Wei Xing, Shuying Wu, Heng Liu, Mao‐Gui Huang, Jie Zhang, Meng He, Feiyi Wang, Wei Chen
Abstract
H 2 S and SO 2 have been considered as important gaseous signaling molecules in biological systems, functioning as regulatory roles in many physiological processes of organisms. To better understand the crosstalk and synergetic effects between H 2 S and SO 2 in biological systems, developing a single fluorescent probe for dual-channel fast detection of H 2 S and SO 2 is highly urgent. We herein report a simple strategy to develop multifunctional near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes for simultaneous identification of H 2 S and SO 2 . Based on the idea of modulating the reactivity of the benzopyrylium core with electron donors, two new NIR fluorescent probes ( SW1 and SW2 ) were synthesized and evaluated. The probe SW2 could not only rapidly sense H 2 S and SO 2 with different fluorescence signals but also be used as a reversible probe to investigate the flux of H 2 O 2 and SO 2 . Moreover, SW2 was successfully applied in visualizing H 2 S and SO 2 in living cells and mice. These results suggest that SW2 could serve as a useful tool in understanding the complex relationships between H 2 S and SO 2 in biological systems.