A near-infrared fluorescent probe based on nucleophilic substitution-cyclization for selective detection of hydrogen sulfide and bioimaging

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been acknowledged as the third important gasotransmitter and plays a vital role to human health and diseases. A turn-on near-infrared fluorescent probe DCM-PBA based on nucleophilic substitution-cyclization has been developed for the detection of hydrogen sulfide. The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity toward H2S and was successfully applied to imaging H2S in Hela cells.