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A Dual Functional Fluorescent Probe Based on Phenothiazine for Detecting Hg2+ and ClO− and its Applications

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Abstract

For the efficient detection of Hg2+ and ClO−, a double-analyte-responsive fluorescent probe PTB was successfully synthesized by combining N-butyl-3-formyl phenothiazine with hydrazine benzothiazole, and designing a specific reaction site for recognizing two analytes (Hg2+ and ClO−) in a compound. It was shown that probe PTB successfully formed a stable complex with Hg2+ in the coordination ratio of 2:1 by using the strong sulfur affinity of Hg2+, which resulted in a remarkable "turn-off" effect, with a quenching efficiency of 92.5% and four reversible cycles of Hg2+ fluorescence detection. For the fluorescence detection of Hg2+, the response time is fast (≤ 2 min) and the detection limit is low (7.8 nM), showing extremely high sensitivity, and the performance is obviously better than that of the reported fluorescent probes for detecting Hg2+. In particular, probe PTB has low toxicity and good biocompatibility, and has been successfully used for imaging of Hg2+ in living cells. Moreover, probe PTB uses thioether bond and carbon-nitrogen double bond as reaction sites to detect ClO−, which has large Stokes Shift (149 nm), good selectivity, high quenching efficiency (96.5%) and fast time response (about 10 s), and successfully detects ClO− in actual water samples.

Graphical Abstract

The dual functional fluorescent probe PTB is sensitive for Hg2+ and ClO−. It has been successfully used for making pH fluorescent test paper and imaging detection of exogenous Hg2+ in VSMC cells with low toxicity.

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The data generated and analyzed will be made available upon reasonable request from the corresponding authors.

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors would like to thank the laboratory at Liaoning Normal University for its facility support.

Funding

The work was supported by funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21641012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China

    Cheng-lu Zhang, Chang Liu, Shi-ru Nie, Yang Zhang, Jing-hao Guo, Xiang-ling Li & Cui Liu

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  1. Cheng-lu Zhang
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  2. Chang Liu
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  4. Yang Zhang
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Contributions

Methodology: C-Z; Formal analysis and investigation: C-Z, C-L; Writing - original draft preparation:C-L; Writing - review and editing: C-Z, C-L, S-N, Y-Z,J-G; Resources and Conceptualization: C-Z, C-L, S-N, Y-Z,J-G X-L; C-L; Funding acquisition:C-Z, C-L. All the authors reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Cheng-lu Zhang or Cui Liu.

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Highlights

• The dual functional fluorescent probe PTB is sensitive for Hg2+ and ClO−.

• The LOD value of probe PTB for Hg2+ recognition is extremely low (7.8 nM), and it has been successfully applied to test paper experiments and cell experiments.

• The probe PTB successfully detected Hg2+ in Spanish mackerel prawn and Coldwater prawn.

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Supplementary file1 (DOCX 2671 KB)

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Zhang, Cl., Liu, C., Nie, Sr. et al. A Dual Functional Fluorescent Probe Based on Phenothiazine for Detecting Hg2+ and ClO− and its Applications. J Fluoresc (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-023-03534-3

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