Aug 2026· Food Chemistry· Vol 525 Pt 4, pp.
150675
· 0 citations· 24 references
Medicine
Abstract
Thiophenol (PhSH) is a highly toxic aromatic thiol endangering ecosystems, food safety, and human health. Traditional detection methods are limited by instrument dependence and inability for real-time imaging. This study developed a red-emitting fluorescent probe, TTCP-DN, based on the PET mechanism. The probe employs 5-(4-diphenylamino)benzothiophene as the fluorophore and 2,4-dinitrophenoxy as the PhSH-specific recognition moiety, achieving mitochondrial targeting via a pyridine salt. Without PhSH, fluorescence is quenched; upon PhSH-induced reaction, fluorescence restores at 623 nm. The probe has low detection limit (37.8 nM), large Stokes shift (153 nm), good biocompatibility, and high selectivity. It was applied for mitochondrial imaging in 4 T1 cells, qualitative detection and semi-quantitative concentration trend analysis of PhSH in zebrafish, plant tissues, environmental, food and biological samples (recoveries 95-105%), and fabricated into portable paper-based test strips. This work provides a versatile PhSH detection tool and a paradigm for targeted probes of toxic aromatic pollutants.
A novel near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent probe designed and synthesized by rationally linking dicyanoisophorone with 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole provides a reliable and versatile tool for the visual monitoring of fluoride ions in both environmental and biological contexts.
Qi Zhou, Wen-Hao Hu, Ke Xiao et al.· Analytical Methods· 0 citations
Because intracellular H2O2 levels vary dynamically and are involved in both redox signaling and oxidative stress linked to human health and disease, quantitative fluorescent detection of H2O2 is essential in living systems. In this work, a carbazole-based ratiometric fluorescent probe, KD-H2O2, was designed and synthesized for the selective detection of H2O2. Performance evaluation demonstrated that KD-H2O2 exhibited excellent sensing properties, including a broad pH tolerance range (pH 3.0-11.0), high detection sensitivity with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 2.74 μM, and favorable biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. Notably, upon reaction with H2O2, the probe solution exhibited a distinct colour change that could be readily observed with the naked eye. Furthermore, bioimaging experiments demonstrated that KD-H2O2 enabled visualization of endogenous and exogenous H2O2 in HeLa cells, and it could detect exogenous H2O2 in zebrafish. Overall, the probe is a reliable tool for monitoring dynamic H2O2 changes in biological systems and has potential biomedical applications.
Traditional fluorescent probes often exhibit compromised response and specificity due to poor adaptability to varying polar environments. Herein, we present the development of a robust Fe3+-specific small-molecule sensor by linking a tetraphenylsilole derivative and rhodamine 6G hydrazide via a Schiff-base π bridge to form a fluorescent donor–acceptor system. The dispersed silole moiety serves as dark donor, while the aggregated state of silole converts into emissive donor. Upon selective binding with Fe3+, the molecules are found to undergo fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and dark resonance energy transfer (DRET) to rhodamine moiety in a polarity-dependent manner. Hence, fluorescence quantitation of Fe3+ in both high-organic (>70%) and water-rich solutions (>70%) is successfully achieved with detection limits of 0.083 μM and 0.28 μM, respectively. Further, ratiometric intracellular imaging of Fe3+ is demonstrated using the probe. This sensing strategy can offer a promising avenue for the development of polarity-adaptive fluorescent probes targeting other metal ions in complex biological and environmental matrices.
Lei Zhong, Liang Chen, Fa-Gu Zeng et al.· Micromachines· 0 citations
The pervasive use of pyrethroids and their potential for bioaccumulation necessitate the development of rapid, broad-spectrum, and field-deployable monitoring tools. A novel sensing strategy using fluorinated silicon quantum dots (FSiQDs) for the indirect detection of pyrethroids was developed by targeting their universal degradation product, 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde (3-PBD). FSiQDs modified with 3,5-difluorophenylhydrazine exhibited superior quenching rate (71.32%) toward 3-PBD through a Schiff base-mediated static quenching mechanism. Under optimized conditions, the sensor achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.28 μM within a 10 min response time. To facilitate on-site analysis, an integrated portable fluorescence detector (PFD) was engineered, demonstrating reliable performance in waters from Taihu, Yangcheng, and Cheng Lakes with recoveries ranging from 96.96% to 102.67%. This work represents the first application of fluorine-doped SiQDs for fluorescence sensing, offering a practical solution for the rapid, broad-spectrum screening of pesticide residues in complex environmental and food matrices.
K. Zhao, Yuheng Zhao, Yuemao Dou et al.· Analytical Chemistry· 0 citations
As a potent reactive nitrogen species characterized by robust oxidative capabilities, peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is fundamentally involved in diverse physiological and pathological events. To overcome the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) commonly encountered in traditional fluorophores, TriPS-py-BOO, a near-infrared AIE-active fluorescent probe, was rationally designed for the selective detection of ONOO-. This newly engineered probe demonstrates favorable sensing capabilities toward ONOO-, yielding low limits of detection at 0.573 μM (colorimetric) and 0.743 μM (fluorometric). Furthermore, its large Stokes shift of 235 nm substantially minimizes background auto-fluorescence during optical analysis. Benefiting from its favorable biocompatibility, the probe was successfully applied to imaging both exogenously added and intracellularly generated ONOO- in A549 cells, as well as exogenously added ONOO- in zebrafish. More importantly, the reaction product o-TriPS-py generated after ONOO- recognition displayed good photochromic behavior and acid-responsive properties, enabling its further application in molecular logic operations and intelligent anti-counterfeiting systems. This work not only provides an effective strategy for ONOO- sensing, but also offers a new approach for integrating fluorescence detection with multifunctional optical materials.
Jiayi Zou, Yufeng Liu, Yixuan Sun et al.· Spectrochimica Acta Part A -...· 0 citations
Hypochlorite (ClO-) is widely used for disinfection and sterilization but its overuse poses risks to environmental and food safety as well as human health. Developing effective detection tools is therefore of great importance. Herein, we report an oligothiophene-based fluorescent probe 2TS for ClO- detection in environmental and biological samples. 2TS exhibits a highly specific "turn-on" fluorescence response to ClO- with rapid response (<10 s), excellent sensitivity (LOD = 6.3 nM), good photostability (≥6 h), and wide pH tolerance (4-10). 2TS not only permits sensitive and quantitative ClO- determination in water, bleach, disinfectant, and soil matrices with satisfactory recoveries (97.20-102.20%), but also facilitates on-site visual detection of ClO- in fresh produce, thereby contributing to food safety monitoring. 2TS-loaded test strips allow rapid naked-eye detection of ClO- in aqueous media, and smartphone-assisted RGB analysis further provides instrument-free quantitative detection on food surfaces and test strips. Moreover, its good biocompatibility enables real-time bioimaging of ClO- in living cells, onion tissues, and zebrafish. This work offers a simple and effective fluorescent tool for visual monitoring and bioimaging of ClO- in diverse environmental and biological systems.
Li-Na Liang, Baokun Li, Zichen Jin et al.· Spectrochimica Acta Part A -...· 0 citations
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