Fluorescence monitor of hydrazine in vivo by selective deprotection of flavonoid

Hydrazine has been widely used as an important industrial product, however, is highly toxic to organisms and hazardous environmental pollutants. Detection of hydrazine in environment and in vivo is of great significance for environmental protection and biotoxic evaluation. To address this critical need, we have developed a novel flavonoid-based sensor 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl acetate (MOCA) for hydrazine monitor with detection limits of 0.32 ppm. Upon addition of hydrazine, the fluorescence intensity of MOCA greatly enhanced and showed linear response to the concentration of hydrazine. Other amine-containing species or commonly encountered ions barely interfered with the detection of hydrazine. Furthermore, this sensor could visualize the hydrazine in stem cells and zebrafish, thus providing a powerful fluorescent imaging tool for tracking hydrazine in vivo.