A red fluorescent turn-on probe for hydrogen sulfide and its application in living cells

A novel selective fluorescent chemosensor 1 has been synthesized with a phenanthrene-fused dipyrromethene structure. Selective binding of Cu2+ by 1 results in a complex that displays high selectivity and sensitivity for H2S. The signal transduction occurs via reversible formation-separation of the Cu-1 complex and CuS. Its potential utility for biological applications was confirmed by fluorescence imaging of H2S in live cells.