A Novel ESIPT Phthalimide-Based Fluorescent Probe for Quantitative Detection of H2O2

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a majority reactive oxygen species (ROS) and acts as an essential role in pathological and physiological processes. Therefore, the development of quantitative detection of methods for H2O2 is necessary. Here, we constructed of a novel simple fluorescence probe for detection of H2O2 based on the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer process. The probe utilized a phthalimide derivative as the fluorophore and selected phenylboronic acid as the recognition site for H2O2. In response to H2O2, the probe exhibited 63-fold fluorescence intensity enhancement, a low detection limit (8.4 x 10(-8) M), and large Stokes shift (111 nm). In addition, the probe displayed high selectivity for H2O2 over other ROS. Moreover, the probe was successfully employed for imaging of H2O2 in living cells.