A cyanobiphenyl based fluorescent probe for rapid and specific detection of hypochlorite and its bio-imaging applications

A fluorescence probe (HBM) based on conjugation of 3′-formyl-4′-hydroxy-4-biphenylcarbonitrile to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazune for the detection of hypochlorite has been developed. The probe exhibited a highly sensitive and selective response toward hypochlorite (ClO−) with a low detection limit of 49 nM. The sensing mechanism was considered that the hypochlorite triggered oxidative hydrolysis of probe HBM and the cyanobiphenyl fluorophore was released, which also have been evidenced by the MS analysis. Most notably, the response time of the probe HBM to the OCl− is only a few seconds. The probe was also successfully applied to fluorescence imaging of OCl− in the living cells.