A fluorescent probe for hypochlorite with colorimetric and fluorometric characteristics and imaging in living cells

An excellent fluorescent probe with turn on phenomenon for sensitive monitoring hypochlorite (ClO-) was prepared using the mild condensation reaction between coumarin and hydroxylamine (NH2OH). The probe possessed potent selectivity to ClO- with obvious color changes from yellow to light yellow and green to blue fluorescence emission, which could be noticed by the naked eye. Moreover, the probe has been succeeded in imaging ClO- in living A549 cells and thus has the potential prospect in the visual detection of intracellular ClO-.