Reversible colorimetric and NIR fluorescent probe for sensing SO(2)/H(2)O(2) in living cells and food samples

Fluorescent probe for imaging N2H4 in plants, food, and living cells and for quantitative detection of N2H4 in soil and water using a smartphone

Hydrazine is volatile and highly toxic, causing severe harm to water, soil, air, and organisms. Therefore, real-time detection and long-term monitoring of hydrazine are crucial for environmental protection and human health. Herein, an "OFF-ON" fluorescent probe 5-((10-ethyl-2-methoxy-10 H-phenothiazin-3-yl)methylene)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (MPD) for hydrazine detection through a nucleophilic addition reaction was developed. MPD could exclusively identify hydrazine through colorimetric and fluorescent dual-channel responses within 30 s, which also demonstrated high sensitivity (detection limit, 12 nM) and a wide pH range (6 -12). The sensing mechanism of MPD was confirmed using theoretical calculations, where fluorescence was emitted following the recognition of hydrazine because of the disappearance of the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process. Using a smartphone, MPD enabled the quantitative detection of hydrazine in real water samples and sandy soil. Notably, in the process of detecting hydrazine in actual water samples, the establishment of analytical methods and the completion of rapid quantitative detection only required a smartphone and built-in apps. Additionally, we showed that MPD could recognize hydrazine in various environmental samples, including plants, food, hydrazine vapors, and cells. We believe that the fluorescent probe MPD developed in this study and the established smartphone visualization platform will provide a convenient and effective tool for detecting hydrazine in environmental monitoring, food safety assessment, biological system safety, and other fields.

A self-assembled nanoprobe for rapid detection of hypochlorite in pure water and its application in living cells, food and environmental systems

As an important ROS species participating in various physiological and pathological processes, high level of hypochlorite (ClO-) poses significant health and safety concerns, necessitating efficient detection methods. Herein, this study introduces a water-soluble fluorescent nanoprobe Nano-SJD, effectively detect ClO- in both food samples and living cells. The small molecular probe SJD with N, N-dimethylthiocarbamyl (DMTC) as recognition moiety was constructed based on a naphthalene derivative. To further improve the water solubility, SJD was assembled with an amphiphilic copolymer (mPEG-DSPE) to prepare a water soluble fluorescent nanoprobe Nano-SJD. Fortunately, the nanoprobe preserves the excellent properties of small molecules and performs very well optical response to ClO- in aqueous solution, possessing the advantages including ultra-rapid response (within 1 s), minimal interference, low detection limits (0.39 μM) and good pH stability. What's more important, we have also developed smartphone-compatible test paper strips for convenient on-site detection of ClO- in real-water samples. Additionally, the robust fluorescent imaging behavior of Nano-SJD for visualization of ClO- in living cells highlights its broad potential in biosystem applicability.

A dual-channel ICT fluorescent probe assisted by smartphone for quantitative detection, and visualization of residual hydrazine in the living cells, water, soil, plant, and food samples

BACKGROUND

Hydrazine (N2H4) serves as a crucial industrial raw material and finds extensive applications in the fields of medicine, pesticides, ecological environment, and textile dyes. Excessive residue of hydrazine will cause significant toxicity risks to the ecosystem and human health. Traditional detection methods often require multi-step pretreatment of samples, and complex instrumentation, and are time-consuming, which is not conducive to rapid on-site detection. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a method suitable for rapid detection of N2H4 in multiple fields.

RESULTS

In this study, we constructed a red emission fluorescent probe (BCM). BCM can recognize N2H4 by colorimetric and fluorescence dual-channel response with a good anti-interference ability and a low detection limitation. The fluorescence emission of BCM is attributed to the ICT effect by DFT calculations, and a new product 3H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbaldehyde hydrazine is formed after BCM recognition of N2H4. A linear relationship was established between the ratio of red-blue (R/B) coming from the fluorescence color of BCM and the N2H4 level. Hence, a BCM-based smartphone sensing platform for detecting N2H4 was developed, and the N2H4 content can be rapidly detected with satisfactory accuracy in the lake water samples. In addition, the residues of N2H4 in soils, plants and food samples can be visualized, and BCM can image for N2H4 in living cells, as well as N2H4 vapor can be detected by using the electrospinning film loaded with BCM.

SIGNIFICANCE

In particular, the fluorescent probe BCM can be combined with a smartphone for the detection and visual imaging of hydrazine in environmental samples. We believe the BCM and smartphone-based sensing platforms constructed in this paper will be a powerful tool for visual quantitative detection of N2H4 in the fields of food safety assessment, bioimaging, and environmental protection.

Visual colorimetric label for real-time monitoring of SO2 concentration change in grape and mango during storage

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is widely utilized as a preservative in food transportation and storage, but excessive consumption poses health risks. This study presents a novel and efficient method for the real-time detection of SO2 using a sensor named TK, synthesized from triphenylamine and 2-cyanomethyl-1-methyl-quinolinium. The core mechanism involves the Michael addition reaction of the CC bond in TK with SO2, which disrupts the intramolecular charge transfer process, resulting in a significant color change and a blue shift in fluorescence emission. Methodologically, the sensor's response was quantified by the change in fluorescence intensity ratio (I425/I647) within a SO2 concentration range of 0-180 μM. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity. For practical application, TK was incorporated into hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol to create a smart label capable of visual colorimetry and fluorescence analysis. SO2 concentration changes were monitored by using this label, demonstrated by the color transition from burgundy red to colorless, yielding a maximum color difference (ΔE) of 73.6. The smart label was successfully used to monitor the quality of various grapes and mangoes during long-term storage, providing a reliable, equipment-independent method suitable for household use. The study offers a new tool for enhancing food safety and mitigating health risks associated with SO2 exposure.

Ingenious fluorescent probes for biogenic amine and their applications in bioimaging and food spoilage detection

Food safety issues have received much attention. Biogenic amines are considered important markers of food spoilage. Accurate detection of biogenic amines is important for food quality monitoring. Herein, we developed two coumarin-difluoroboron β-diketonate hybrid probes, 1 and 2, for detection of amines. Both probes possess large conjugated structures and donor-acceptor-donor configuration, exhibiting solvatochromic effects due to intramolecular charge transfer mechanism. Upon reaction with amines, the boron atom in difluoroboron unit can interact with lone pair electrons of nitrogen atom, thus resulting in significant changes in absorption and fluorescence properties. These probes were successfully utilized to image amine in live cells and liver tissues. Moreover, by photographing probe-loaded food extract supernatant, we establish the relationship between color parameters and food storage time, which can easily indicate food spoilage process. This work and its findings hold promise for providing potential strategies for real-time and convenient detection of food freshness.

Ex Tenebris Lux: Illuminating Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species with Small Molecule Probes

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are small reactive molecules derived from elements in the air─oxygen and nitrogen. They are produced in biological systems to mediate fundamental aspects of cellular signaling but must be very tightly balanced to prevent indiscriminate damage to biological molecules. Small molecule probes can transmute the specific nature of each reactive oxygen and nitrogen species into an observable luminescent signal (or even an acoustic wave) to offer sensitive and selective imaging in living cells and whole animals. This review focuses specifically on small molecule probes for superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, nitric oxide, and peroxynitrite that provide a luminescent or photoacoustic signal. Important background information on general photophysical phenomena, common probe designs, mechanisms, and imaging modalities will be provided, and then, probes for each analyte will be thoroughly evaluated. A discussion of the successes of the field will be presented, followed by recommendations for improvement and a future outlook of emerging trends. Our objectives are to provide an informative, useful, and thorough field guide to small molecule probes for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species as well as important context to compare the ecosystem of chemistries and molecular scaffolds that has manifested within the field.

A sensitive CRISPR/Cas12a-assisted fluorescent aptasensor for rapid detection of food allergens

Food allergens elicit abnormal immune system responses among allergic individuals and sensitive detection for allergenic ingredient is greatly significant. To address this need, a novel fluorescent aptasensor, assisted by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), have been developed for food allergens. In this study, aptamer offers distinctive recognition capabilities in binding specific targets, while CRISPR-associated-12a protein (Cas12a) holds precise cis-cleavage for cutting fluorescent signal probes. Notably, the utilization of Cas12a cis-cleavage activity, rather than trans-cleavage, eliminates the necessity for additional fluorescent probes, thus reducing interference between substances and enhancing sensitivity. Throughout the process, complementary DNA (cDNA) plays a crucial dual role in target recognition conversion and signal presentation, representing a key challenge and innovative aspect of this study. To evaluate the performance of the aptasensor, lysozyme (LYS) is employed as a representative model target of food allergens. Under optimal conditions, the developed aptasensor could achieve an exceptional low limit of detection (LOD) of 6.10 pM with a dynamic detection range of 10 pM-320 pM. The aptasensor demonstrates high selectivity and great recovery rates. This strategy yields promising outcomes, holding the potential to serve as a valuable reference for various food allergens detection.

Salicylaldehyde built fluorescent probe for dual sensing of Al3+, Zn2+ ions: Applications in latent fingerprint, bio-imaging & real sample analysis

This Schiff base chemosensor (SNN) detected dual ions, Al3+ and Zn2+ ions selectively. Fluorescence spectrum investigations showed that Al3+ ions increased fluorescence intensity, notably at 493 nm. Introducing Zn2+ ions caused a significant blue shift of roughly ∼65 nm at a wavelength of 434 nm, resulting in a notable change in fluorescence intensity. When binding Al3+/Zn2+ ions, the SNN receptor uses three methods. Inhibition of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and restriction of CN isomerization. The jobs plot method found that SNN + Al3+ and SNN + Zn2+ complexations had a 1:1 stoichiometry. DFT, LC-HRMS, and 1H NMR titration confirm this conclusion. The probe SNN's limit of detection (LOD) for Al3+/Zn2+ ions was 3.99 nM and 1.33 nM. Latent fingerprint (LFP), food samples, pharmaceutical products, and E. coli pathogen bio-imaging have all used the SNN probe to identify Al3+ and Zn2+ ions.

Ratiometric luminescence detection of H2O2 in food samples using a terbium coordination polymer sensitized with 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid

A ratiometric luminescent probe was fabricated using adenosine monophosphate (AMP) as a bridging ligand and 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid (3-CPBA) as the sensitizer and functional ligand that allowed the probe to recognize hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The probe was labeled AMP-Tb/3-CPBA. Adding H2O2 caused the nonluminescent 3-CPBA to be converted into 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, which strongly luminesces at 401 nm. This meant that adding H2O2 decreased the AMP-Tb/3-CPBA luminescence intensity at 544 nm and caused luminescence at 401 nm. The 401 and 544 nm luminescence intensity ratio (I401/I544) was strongly associated with the H2O2 concentration between 0.1 and 60.0 μM, and the detection limit was 0.23 μM. Dual emission reverse-change ratio luminescence sensing using the probe allowed environmental effects to be excluded and the assay to be very selective. We believe that the results pave the way for the development of new functionalized lanthanide coordination polymers for use in luminescence assays.

A novel fluorescence probe for ultrafast detection of SO2 derivatives/biogenic amines and its multi-application: Detecting food and fish freshness, fluorescent dye and bioimaging

In this study, we have effectively prepared a novel fluorescent probe named HDXM based on benzopyran derivatives for the ultrafast detection (within 3 s) of SO2 derivatives or biogenic amines. HDXM showed a noticeable color change after the addition of SO2 derivatives (from purple to colorless) or biogenic amines (from purple to blue), indicating that HDXM can identify two analytes with the naked eye. It is worth noting that HDXM can be used to detect SO2 derivatives in actual sugar samples, and to image HSO3-/SO32- in living cells. More importantly, sensing labels (HDXM-loaded filter paper or agarose hydrogel) enable real-time visual monitoring of salmon freshness through colorimetric and fluorescence dual channels. Compared with the Chinese national standard method, the sensing label is an effective tool for evaluating the freshness of fish. Benefiting from its excellent solubility and fluorescence performance, HDXM can be used as a versatile fluorescent material in various applications, including flexible films, glass coatings, impregnating dyes, printing, and fingerprint ink. HDXM is expected to be a promising and valuable multifunctional tool for food safety and fluorescent materials.

Taming Janus-Faced Quinoline-Derived Fluorescent Probes for Dual-Channel Distinguishable Visualization of HSO3- and HClO in Dried Foods and Living Cells

With the booming development of food manufacturing, developing ideal analytical tools to precisely quantify food additives is highly sought after in the food science field. Herein, a new series of quinoline-derived multifunctional fluorescent probes has been synthesized. Bearing double reactive sites, these compounds display fluorescence response toward both bisulfite (HSO3-) and hypochlorous acid (HClO). Among these compact structures, compound ethyl-2-cyano-3-(6-(methylthio)quinolin-2-yl)acrylate (QTE) was screened out. Probe QTE not only shows ratiometric variation toward HSO3- with little cross talk but also performs turn-off signal toward HClO. In addition, probe QTE has been utilized for bioimaging of HClO in living cells. Furthermore, the HSO3- content in dried food samples has been appraised by QTE with satisfactory results. Meanwhile, relying on the apparent chromaticity change, a flexible dark-box device has been elaborated for chromatic analysis, promoting visualization of HSO3- in the field.

A colorimetric and NIR fluorescent probe for ultrafast detecting bisulfite and organic amines and its applications in food, imaging, and monitoring fish freshness

Herein, for the first time, we have successfully constructed a novel near-infrared (NIR) emission fluorescent probe Dpyt for ultrafast detecting (within 5 s) bisulfate and organic amines based on a 1,2-dihydrocyclopenta[b]chromene-barbiturate conjugation system. Upon addition of bisulfate or organic amines, Dpyt displayed a distinct color change from blue to colorless or from purple to blue, respectively, suggesting that the Dpyt can be used to detect two analytes by the naked eye. Based on quantum chemistry calculations, the fluorescence quenching of Dpyt after the addition of HSO3- is caused by the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process of the adduct Dpyt-HSO3-. The fluorescence enhancement of Dpyt caused by most organic amines is due to the enhanced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process of deprotonated Dpyt. Notably, Dpyt can be applied for detecting HSO3- in actual food samples such as red wine and sugar, as well as for imaging of HSO3- and representative propylamine in living cells. And more importantly, indicator labels constructed by filter paper loaded with Dpyt can visually monitor the freshness of salmon in real-time by daylight and fluorescence dual-mode. The comparison with national standard method of China manifests that indicator labels are a valid tool to assess the freshness of seafood.

Development of a rapid and sensitive fluorescent probe for high-throughput detecting SO2 in food samples

Sulfur dioxide (SO2), widely used as an antioxidant and preservative in food production, has been associated with detrimental cardiovascular and neurological effects when consumed excessively. This highlights the pressing need to develop a fast and sensitive probe capable of high-throughput screening for the quantitative determination of SO2 in food. Herein, we synthesized a new fluorescent probe, namely B3, specifically designed for high-throughput detection of SO2 in food. The vinyl chloride aldehyde within the B3 structure engages in a nucleophilic addition reaction with SO2, contributing to B3's exceptional selectivity for SO2, and fast response time within 9 s. Furthermore, by integrating B3 with a microplate reader, we effectively achieved high-throughput detection of SO2 concentration up to 45 μM within a pH range of 5.5 to 8.0 in real food samples. This accomplishment serves as a significant contribution to ensuring consumer safety and facilitating health assessments.

A red fluorescence probe for reversible detection of HSO3-/H2O2 and its application in food samples and bioimaging

Reducing agent SO₂ and oxidant H₂O₂ are two essential substances in cells, and the balance between them is closely related to the survival of cells. SO₂ derivative HSO₃^- is often used as food additive. Therefore, simultaneous detection of SO₂ and H₂O₂ is of great significance in biology and food safety. In this work, we successfully developed a mitochondria-targeted red fluorescent probe (HBTI), which has excellent selectivity, high sensitivity and large Stokes shift (202 nm). HBTI and HSO₃^-/SO₃^2- undergo Michael addition on the unsaturated C=C bond, and the addition product (HBTI-HSO₃^-) can react with H₂O₂ to restore the conjugated structure. Fluorescence changes from red to non-emissive and then restores to red, and can be detected quickly and visually. In addition, HBTI has been successfully targeted mitochondria, and achieved dynamic reversible response to SO₂/H₂O₂ in living cells, and has been successfully applied to detect SO₂ in food samples.