Progress on Fluorescent Probes for Thiols

Thiols, which are the components of many proteins and simple molecules, play an important role in the cellular antioxidant defense, and their concentration level is directly linked to many diseases. Therefore, real-time quantitative determination of thiols is of vital significance in biochemistry and clinical chemistry. Fluorescent probe-based detection, which is highly sensitive and specific, is one of the most powerful and attractive tools used in thiols determination, especially in living cell imaging. This review summarizes the recent progress in thiols detection by fluorescent probes. The contents were described and discussed in terms of different reaction mechanisms between fluorescent probes and thiols. Particularly, future studies and prospects were envisioned.