A colorimetric and near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent probe for hydrazine detection and bioimaging

Hydrazine (N2H4) is extensively used in industry but highly toxic; hence, highly sensitive detection of N2H4 is extremely meaningful. Herein, a colorimetric and near-infrared (NIR) ratiometric fluorescent probe named DXM-OH was rationally designed and synthesized based on oxanthrene malononitrile derivative for the specific detection of N2H4. The dicyanovinyl group in DXM-OH was served as the recognition unit for N2H4. DXM-OH showed high sensitivity to N2H4 in the range of 1-900 mu M, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.09 mu M (2.87 ppb), which is much lower than the US. Environmental Protection Agency standard (10 ppb). Furthermore, the practical applications of DXM-OH in detecting N2H4 in real water samples and imaging of N2H4 in living cells were demonstrated, indicating its potential utility for N2H4 sensing in environmental and biological samples. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.