Hypochlorous acid turn-on boron dipyrromethene probe based on oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide

• A BODIPY-based green fluorescent probe for sensing HOCl was developed.
• The probe utilizes HOCl-promoted oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide to produce a proportional fluorescence response to the concentration of HOCl.
• Confocal fluorescence microscopy imaging of RAW264.7 cells demonstrated that the HCS probe might have application in the investigation of HOCl roles in biological systems.

A boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorometric probe, HCS, has been successfully developed for the highly sensitive and selective detection of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The probe is based on the specific HOCl-promoted oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide. The reaction is accompanied by a 160-fold increase in the fluorescent quantum yield (from 0.003 to 0.480). The fluorescent turn-on mechanism is accomplished by suppression of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the methyl phenyl sulfide group to BODIPY. The fluorescence intensity of the reaction between HOCl and HCS shows a good linearity in the HOCl concentration range 1–10 μM. The detection limit is 23.7 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, confocal fluorescence microscopy imaging using RAW264.7 macrophages demonstrates that the HCS probe could be an efficient fluorescent detector for HOCl in living cells.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide