Search

Excessive oxidative stress is the main cause of neurotransmitter metabolism disorder in the brain with depression. Lysosomal hypobromic acid (HOBr) is an important reactive oxygen species produced in oxidative stress. Its abnormal content can lead to macromolecular damage and neurodegenerative diseases. However, due to the high reactivity and low concentration of HOBr and the lack of in situ imaging methods, the role of HOBr in depression is not clear. Herein, based on the HOBr-initiated aromatic substitution of a tertiary amine, we developed a novel two-photon (TP) fluorescence probe (

Cancer, as a malignant tumor, seriously endangers human health. The study of cancer diagnosis and therapy has great practical significance. The development of theranostic agents has become a very important research topic. Nevertheless, some existing agents still have imperfections, such as complex structures and difficult syntheses. Therefore, it is urgent for researchers to develop simple novel theranostic agents. In this study, the precipitated fluorophore

Glutathione (GSH) is a key maintainer of cellular redox balance and plays an important role in many physiological effects. For example, GSH has been widely implicated in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. Moreover, the concentrations of GSH in tumor cells can influence drug resistance. Given the serious harmfulness of cancer and the important roles of GSH in cancer, it has great significance to development probes for screening of tumor cells and real-time monitoring of GSH fluctuations in tumor cells. However, no targetable probe for reversible imaging of GSH in tumor cells has been reported. Herein, we constructed a melatonin-based targetable and reversible fluorescent probe (GR-MT) for screening of tumor cells and real-time imaging of GSH fluctuations in tumor cells. The probe uses coumarin as the skeleton, Michael addition reaction as the reaction mechanism, and melatonin as the targeted groups of tumor cells. The experimental results demonstrate this probe has many advantages including high selectivity, satisfactory sensitivity, excellent reversible ability, rapid reaction speed, and outstanding targetability of tumor cells. Therefore, this study provides a promising tool for tumor cells screening and real-time detection of GSH fluctuations in specific tumor cells.

A highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe was constructed to detect carbon monoxide in living cells and zebrafish.

A selective and ultra-sensitive colorimetric fluorescent probe was discovered to detect malononitrile in living cells and zebrafish.

A highly selective and sensitive water-soluble naphthalimide-based turn-on fluorescent probe was synthesized to detect Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish.

Cancer is a serious threat to human health, and there is an urgent need to develop new treatment methods to overcome it. Organelle targeting therapy, as a highly effective and less toxic side effect treatment strategy, has great research significance and development prospects. Being an essential organelle, the Golgi apparatus plays a particularly major role in the growth of cancer cells. Acting as an indispensable and highly expressed antioxidant in cancer cells, glutathione (GSH) also contributes greatly during the Golgi oxidative stress. Therefore, it counts for much to track the changes of GSH concentration in Golgi for monitoring the occurrence and development of tumor cells, and exploring Golgi-targeted therapy is also extremely important for effective treatment of cancer. In this work, we designed and synthesized a simple Golgi-targeting fluorescent probe GT-GSH for accurately detecting GSH. The probe GT-GSH reacting with GSH decomposes toxic substances to Golgi, thereby killing cancer cells. At the same time, the ratiometric fluorescent probe can detect the concentration changes of GSH in Golgi stress with high sensitivity and selectivity in living cells. Therefore, such a GSH-responsive fluorescent probe with a Golgi-targeted therapy effect gives a new method for accurate treatment of cancer.

Periodontitis, one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases, affects the quality of life. Osteogenesis makes an important role of the disease. There is a connection between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and periodontitis, but according to the study has been published, the precise role of H2S in inflammation remains in doubt. The main reason of the lack of research is that H2S is an endogenous gasotransmitter, difficult to discern through testing. So, we synthesis a novel fluorescence probe which can detective H2S in vitro. By using the novel H2S fluorescence probe, we found that H2S changes in osteoblasts mainly by cystathionine-γ-lyase, and H2S increases under LPS stimulation. H2S could be a potential marker for diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of bone, and might help deeper studies of the changes of H2S level and promote the progression on the researches about pathogenesis of periodontitis.

The concentration of copper ions (Cu

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is a highly reactive substance, and plays an essential part in maintaining cellular homeostasis. It is crucial to monitor the ONOO- level in cells in normal and abnormal states. We introduced a p-dimethylaminophenylether-based fluorescent probe PDPE-PN, which could be synthesized readily. The new probe had prominent sensitivity and specificity, and a fast response towards ONOO-. The spectral performance of probe PDPE-PN was outstanding and the limit of detection was 69 nM. Probe PDPE-PN with low toxicity was applied to detect endogenous/exogenous ONOO- in RAW 264.7 macrophages and zebrafish. Importantly, successful application of the new receptor opens up new ideas for the design of ONOO- probes.

A simple pyridine-based highly specific fluorescent probe was constructed to trace hypochlorous acid in lysosomes of living cells.

Nickel resources are abundant in the world, and the application of nickel in production and life is more and more extensive. However, excessive nickel entering the environment will not only cause environmental pollution but also seriously endanger plants, animals and human health. Nickel compounds are carcinogenic and have been classified as a class 1 carcinogen. Nickel mainly exists in the form of divalent ions in the environment. However, there are few simple and effective methods for the detection of nickel ions, and these methods still have certain limitations. At present, the mechanisms of nickel influence in organisms are also unclear. Therefore, we constructed a ratiometric fluorescent probe Ra-Ni, which can achieve its own self-calibration and avoid the interference of other factors, thereby realizing the specific identification of nickel ions. The probe can detect nickel ions sensitively with a detection limit as low as 26.2 nM and can respond in a short time (2 min), which proves the great potential of the probe in the detection of nickel ions. At the same time, Ra-Ni has also been successfully used for imaging nickel ions in living cells and zebrafish, providing an effective tool for the study of physiological and pathological processes. The detection effect of nickel ions in actual water sample is also satisfactory, which further demonstrates the practicability of Ra-Ni in environmental applications.

Considering that mercury ions (Hg

Mercury (Hg) is a heavy metal with high toxicity and easy migration; it can be enriched through the food chain, and cause serious threats to the natural environment and human health. So, the development of a method that can be used to detect mercury ions (Hg2+ ) in the environment, in cells, and in organisms is very important. Here, a new 7-hydroxycoumarin-derived carbonothioate-based probe (CC-Hg) was designed and synthesized for detection of Hg2+ . After addition of Hg2+ , a large fluorescence enhancement was observed due to the formation of 7-hydroxyl, which reinforced the intramolecular charge transfer process. The CC-Hg probe had good water solubility and selectivity. Moreover, the probe was able to detect Hg2+ quantitatively over the concentration range 0-2 μM and with a detection limit of 7.9 nM. Importantly, we successfully applied the probe to detect Hg2+ in water samples, in living cells, and in zebrafish. The experimental results demonstrated its potential value in practical applications.

We have synthesized a simple Golgi-targeting H2S fluorescent probe which can detect endogenous and exogenous H2S in cells and zebrafish. In addition, this probe provides a new chemical tool for the detailed study of generation pathways of H2S under Golgi stress response.

A novel Golgi-targeting Cys-specific fluorescent probe (Gol-Cys) was synthesized. Probe Gol-Cys is not only sufficiently sensitive to native Cys in living cells and zebrafish, but also can be used for monitoring the Cys level during Golgi stress.

When the cell environment changes or is stimulated, the Golgi apparatus will respond to the corresponding stress, through the opening of related pathways, the expression of corresponding substances can be promoted or inhibited to achieve the purpose of controlling cell redox homeostasis and reducing cytotoxicity. Intuitive analysis of the changes in the content of various substances in the process of stress has important guiding value for the further study of stress response, drug evaluation and clinical diagnosis. Therefore, for the Cys overexpressed during the oxidative stress of the Golgi apparatus, we developed a specific and sensitive fluorescent probe (Gol-NCS) to visually monitor the biologically important Cys in real time. The probe has low cytotoxicity and shows great potential in cell and zebrafish imaging, it can detect the changes of endogenous and exogenous cysteine. It is important to explore the synthetic pathway of Cys during Golgi stress by using the Golgi targeting performance of the probe Gol-NCS. It is confirmed by fluorescence imaging for the first time that the activity of CSE enzyme plays a decisive role in the formation of Cys. Therefore, probe Gol-NCS with excellent photochemical properties is expected to provide help for the research on the involvement of Cys in Golgi stress.

The outbreak and spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a significant increase in the consumption of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) disinfectants. NaOCl hydrolyzes to produce hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to kill viruses, which is a relatively efficient chlorine-based disinfectant commonly used in public disinfection. While people enjoy the convenience of NaOCl disinfection, excessive and indiscriminate use of it will affect the water environment and threaten human health. Importantly, HOCl is an indispensable reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human body. Whether its concentration is normal or not is closely related to human health. Excessive production of HOCl in the body contributes to some inflammatory diseases and even cancer. Also, we noticed that the concentration of ROS in cancer cells is about 10 times higher than that in normal cells. Herein, we developed a HOCl-activatable biotinylated dual-function fluorescent probe BTH. For this probe, we introduced biotin on the naphthalimide fluorophore, which increased the water solubility and enabled the probe to aggregate in cancer cells by targeting specific receptor overexpressed on the surface of cancer cell membrane. After reacting to HOCl, the p-aminophenylether moiety of this probe was oxidatively removed and the fluorescence of the probe was recovered. As expected, in the PBS solution with pH of 7.4, BTH could give full play to the performance of detecting HOCl, and it has made achievements in detecting the concentration of HOCl in actual water samples. Besides that, BTH had effectively distinguished between cancer cells and normal cells through a dual-function discrimination strategy, which used biotin to enrich the probe in cancer cells and reacted with overexpressed HOCl in cancer cells. Importantly, this dual-function discrimination strategy could obtain the precision detection of cancer cells, thereby offering assistance for improving the accuracy of early cancer diagnosis.

Developing an effective method for the detection of nitrite (NO

As a eukaryotic organelle, the Golgi apparatus plays an essential role in various physiological activities such as stress response. The Golgi stress response is an important physiological process of conferring cytoprotection by regulating the synthesis and metabolism of bioactive molecules. Therefore, the development of new suitable in situ analytical techniques for monitoring related small molecular substances in the stress reaction of the Golgi apparatus is very helpful for further study of the regulatory mechanism of the Golgi apparatus. Recent studies have shown that endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) also possesses crucial bioregulatory and protective performances in the stress response. Therefore, the high-fidelity in situ mapping of H2S production under the Golgi stress response plays an important role not only in revealing cytoprotection functions of H2S in the stress response but also in further understanding the regulatory mechanism of the Golgi stress response. In this work, we designed a simple Golgi-targetable H2S fluorescent probe (Gol-H2S) that responds accurately and sensitively to H2S in the Golgi apparatus of living cells and zebrafish. On the basis of its superior bioimaging performances, probe Gol-H2S was successfully applied to the in situ visualization of H2S production under the Golgi stress response elicited by monensin, a specific-Golgi stressor. The related process of the Golgi stress response was validated by stimulation and inhibition experiments. These findings fully demonstrate that H2S is an alternative biomarker of the Golgi stress response. Moreover, probe Gol-H2S can also be used as a potential tool for disclosing the detailed H2S-cytoprotection mechanisms under the regulation of the Golgi stress response in related diseases.

The method of fluorescent probes has been an important technique for detection of nitrite (NO2 - ). As an important inorganic salt, excessive nitrite would threaten humans and the environment. In this paper, a colorimetric fluorescent probe P-N (1,2-diaminoanthraquinone) with rapid response and high selectivity, which could detect NO2 - by visual colour changes and fluorescence spectroscopy is presented. The probe P-N solution (pH 1) changed from pink to colourless with the addition of NO2 - and fluorescence intensity at 639 nm clearly decreased. Good linear exists between fluorescence intensities and NO2 - concentrations for the range 0-16 μM, and the detection limit was 54 nM (based on a 3σ/slope). Moreover, probe P-N could also detect NO2 - in real water samples, and results were all satisfactory. Probe P-N shows great practical application value for detecting NO2 - in the environment.

Formaldehyde (FA), an economically important chemical, has become a global pollutant and poses a threat to human health. As a kind of reactive carbonyl species, the abnormal production and degradation of FA in cells are related to many diseases. Therefore, it is of great significance to detect FA on the cell membrane and identify the internal and external sources of FA to analyse the causes of FA-induced physiological and pathological changes. In this work, a novel fluorescent probe Mem-FA was constructed by combining a dodecyl chain to target the cell membrane. Based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET), the probe relies on hydrazine as the receptor for FA recognition. Through this mechanism, the probe can detect FA sensitively, selectively and quantitatively. In addition, the probe Mem-FA can detect FA in vivo, especially the endogenous FA produced by tetrahydrofolate in a one-carbon cycle. More importantly, the probe Mem-FA can sensitively detect and distinguish the internal and external sources of FA on the cell membrane. Therefore, Mem-FA is capable of specifically tracing the fluctuations of FA-induced diseases.

Z-scheme photocatalysts commonly possess both high charge separation efficiency and strong redox ability. In this paper, novel 3-dimensional/2-dimensional (3D/2D) structured bismuth-rich bismuth oxide iodide/bismuth oxide bromide (Bi

Peroxynitrite (ONOO

Hypoxia plays an important role in cancer progression, which is a characteristic feature of the tumor micro-environment and reflects the invasiveness of tumor cells. Nitroreductase (NTR) is overexpressed in hypoxic tumors, which making it an efficient target for detecting the hypoxic state in tumor. In this work, a new type of nitro-based fluorescent probe, named HNT-NTR, has been proposed, HNT-NTR could detect specifically and rapidly the NTR degree, which reflects the level of hypoxia in bidimensional (2D) tumor cells, three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheres and even the real tumors in vivo without biological toxicity. Most importantly, according to the research, HNT-NTR even could distinguish tumor cells from other normal cells in vivo and reflect the invasiveness of tumor cells by the near-infrared fluorescence intensity, which provides a new way of clinical pathologic diagnosis. All in all, HNT-NTR not only is proven to be an ideal probe for detecting solid tumors in vivo, but also has great potential to distinguish if cells are benign or malignant and even guide therapeutic applications in the clinic.

Mercury ions as high toxic pollutants have received wide-spread attention because of their poisonousness, persistence and enrichment. To better understand the distribution of mercury species and supplement more detailed toxicological research, it is necessary to develop some methods for monitoring mercury ions with high sensitivity and selectivity. Therefore, a simple rhodol-based highly selective fluorescent probe, RH-Hg, has been developed for monitoring Hg2+ with thiocarbamate as the recognition receptor. The probe RH-Hg can quantificationally detect mercury ions in aqueous solution assisted by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and it can discriminate Hg2+ through "naked-eye" observation of the color changes from light orange to dark pink. Finally, the practical applications of the probe RH-Hg in the river water further demonstrated that it will be an effective and economical tool for monitoring the distribution of Hg2+ in the environment.

In this work, by taking full advantage of the transformation of nitro group into amino moiety under the direct reduction of CO, a new metal-free colorimetric and near-infrared fluorescent probe NIR-CO for rapid and specific tracing of intracellular CO has been constructed, and it also become the first reaction-based near-infrared fluorescent probe for CO detection without additional reagents. Probe NIR-CO could quantitatively detect CO at the nanomolar level and the detection limit was calculated as low as 6.1 nM. Additionally, probe NIR-CO with preeminent sensing properties was successfully applied to monitor the fluctuations of endogenous CO levels in living systems. In particular, the up-regulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) caused by transient glucose deprivation (TGD) in living cells and the down-regulation of HO-1 inhibited by high glucose (HG) in zebrafish were confirmed for the first time via mapping the glucose-induced fluctuations of CO levels. Thus, we anticipate that probe NIR-CO not only can serve as a powerful tool to investigate the detailed biological functions of CO in the pathophysiological processes, but also possesses potential applications of in situ monitoring HO-1 activity in the complex biological systems.

Cell-selective imaging of some biological species is significant for the diseases research of a specific tissue or organ. Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) as a kind of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), plays extremely important roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes. Developing cell-specific fluorescent probes for tracing ONOO− in living systems remains a great challenge due to the complexity of internal environment and high autofluorescence. In this work, we developed a galactose-appended hepatoma-specific fluorescent probe Gal-NHP with hydroxynaphthalimide as the fluorophore and hydroquinone moiety as the responsive receptor for sensitively detecting endogenous ONOO− in live HepG2 cells. Probe Gal-NHP could selectively trace ONOO− without interference from other species such as HOCl and H2O2. In addition, the introduction of galactose enhanced the water solubility of this probe, and Gal-NHP could respond quickly to ONOO− in aqueous solution. The quantitative experiment showed the excellent sensitivity of this probe with a good linear relationship. Above all, fluorescence imaging results displayed it possessed excellent hepatoma-specific ability and could successfully detect endogenous ONOO− of hepatoma cells in real time. Thus, this newly developed probe would benefit to reveal the roles of ONOO− in hepatoma cells.

The precise cellular function of peroxynitrite (ONOO–) in biosystems remains elusive, primarily owing to being short of ultrasensitive techniques for monitoring its intracellular distribution. In t...

It is very important to detect native hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the complex biosystems owing to the important roles of HOCl in the immune defense and the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. In this paper, a new p-aminophenylether-based fluorescent probe PAPE-HA was developed for specific detection of HOCl. Probe PAPE-HA could implement the quantitative detection of HOCl ranging from 0 to 1 μM and the detection limit was obtained as low as 1.37 nM. Additionally, probe PAPE-HA could reach a rapid response for HOCl (2 min). Importantly, probe PAPE-HA with preeminent specificity and ultrasensitivity was proven to possess powerful capability of tracking native HOCl in live cells and zebrafish, and we thus anticipate that probe PAPE-HA could be used as a novel promising tool for revealing diverse cellular functions of HOCl.

In this work, taking full advantage of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, a hydroxynaphthalimide-based ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe RTP-PN was synthesized to detect ONOO−. Probe RTP-PN could accurately detect ONOO− in the range of 1.4 nM-1.4 μM with the detection limit of 1.4 nM by a ratiometric fluorescence spectroscopy method. Additionally, probe RTP-PN exhibited an ultrafast response for ONOO− than other various species including H2O2 and ClO−. Finally, probe RTP-PN was successfully adopted to detect intracellular ONOO− by the two-photon excitation microscopy.

A water-soluble fluorescent probe for monitoring thiophenols based on a GFP-type TPC-OH fluorophore and a 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether recognition unit was designed. This probe possessed remarkable sensitivity and specificity toward thiophenols in an almost pure aqueous solution, and also showed good interference immunity to other related analytes including aliphatic mercaptans. Meanwhile, the probe displayed a prominent linear correlation between the thiophenol concentrations in the range of 0 to 20 μM and the fluorescence intensities at 492 nm, and the detection limit was as low as 33 nM. More strikingly, probe 1 was employed to visualize thiophenol in both living cells and zebrafish, which further demonstrated that probe 1 was a powerful practical tool in monitoring thiophenols in living systems.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) is a reactive and short-lived biological oxidant endogenously generated in biosystems, and its excessive production is related to various diseases. However, the functional mechanisms of ONOO− are not fully understood. Here, we present a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe CPD-ratio for the accurate detection of ONOO− under single wavelength excitation. This study showed that the probe CPD-ratio can achieve the ratiometric detection of ONOO− with rapid response, and it possessed excellent selectivity and sensitivity (detection limit was calculated to be 47 nM). These properties and its non-toxicity demonstrated that probe CPD-ratio could be potentially employed to accurately monitor ONOO− levels in biological systems. We have thoroughly demonstrated the utility of the probe CPD-ratio for ratiometric bioimaging, because it has been effectively used to trace the exogenous and endogenous ONOO− in live cells.

Based on the important role of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the immune system and numerous physiological processes, the detection of intracellular basal HOCl is of significant interest. In this work, we present a simple thiocarbamate-protected fluorescein fluorescent probe, TCFL, for imaging basal HOCl in live cells. Surprisingly, probe TCFL could determine HOCl quantitatively in a large concentration range with a detection limit of 0.65 nM. In addition, probe TCFL showed excellent specificity for HOCl in the presence of other higher concentration analytes (1 mM). Moreover, probe TCFL exhibited a rapid response (within 3 s) to HOCl and thus could provide a tool for real-time monitoring of HOCl. Importantly, probe TCFL with outstanding response features could be applied for monitoring basal HOCl in live cells.

The detection of ionic mercury (Hg2+) is very important because it is a highly toxic environmental pollutant that could cause serious diseases and threaten human health. Herein, we designed a new carbonothioate-based far-red fluorescent probe, CBRB, with a seminaphthorhodafluor dye as the fluorophore for the detection of Hg2+. The CBRB probe by itself exhibited very weak fluorescence due to the enhanced photo-induced electron transfer (PET) effect and inhibited the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process caused by the carbonothioate moiety. Upon addition of Hg2+, a tremendous fluorescence enhancement was achieved, attributed to the removal of the carbonothioate group via a specific mercury-promoted desulfurization reaction. Moreover, the probe displayed a large Stokes shift (about 105 nm) and was used to quantitatively measure the concentration of Hg2+ for concentrations ranging from 0 to 1 μM (DL = 3.6 nM). In addition, CBRB in our experiments responded exclusively to Hg2+, even in the presence of high concentrations other ions. Gratifyingly, this probe was successfully used to monitor Hg2+ in environmental water samples and to image Hg2+ in living cells as well as in zebrafish.

The development of techniques for monitoring the gasotransmitter carbon monoxide (CO) at the subcellular level is significant for elucidating its diverse cellular functions. Herein, a mitochondria-targetable, colorimetric and far-red fluorescent probe FR-CO is presented for tracking CO levels in the mitochondria of living cells. The FR-CO probe can sensitively detect CO using a turn-on fluorescence spectroscopic method, with a detection limit of around 38.9 nM. Additionally, the FR-CO probe exhibits outstanding selectivity towards CO over other various bioactive molecules. Moreover, the obvious color change (from colorless to pink) of the probe makes it possible to visually detect CO in aqueous solution. Most importantly, the excellent response properties of the FR-CO probe enable its application in the tracking of fluctuations in the CO levels of mitochondria in living cells, and it is thus anticipated that this probe will be a novel tool for further investigating the biological functions of CO in subcellular mitochondria.

A novel pH-sensitive fluorescent probe has been designed and synthesized for sensing intracellular pH. This probe showed excellent water solubility, it was sensitive toward the pH range from 4 to 12, and it was especially sensitive in alkaline environments. During the pH changes from acidic to alkaline environments, the color of the solution turned from yellow to purple, thus the difference in color can be used to distinguish between acidic and alkaline systems. The other major features of probe pH-DCN including high selectivity, low toxicity, good reversibility and stability allowed pH-DCN to visualize fluctuations of the pH in live cells. Moreover, probe pH-DCN has successfully discriminated cancer cells from normal cells by monitoring their different intracellular pH levels.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the major toxic heavy metals, harmful to the environment and human health. Thus, it is significantly important to find an easy and quick method to detect Hg2+. In this study, we designed and synthesized a simple fluorescent probe with excellent properties, such as high sensitivity and selectivity, rapid response, and outstanding water solubility. When Hg2+ (5 μM) was added to the probe solution, it exhibited a very large fluorescent enhancement (about 350-fold stronger than the free probe) with the help of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Probe HCDC could quantitatively detect Hg2+ in the range of 0–10 μM using the fluorescence spectroscopy method and the detection limit was measured to be about 0.3 nM (based on a 3σ/slope). Analytical application was also studied, and the probe HCDC exhibited excellent response to Hg2+ with the addition of H2O2 in real water samples. So, our proposed probe HCDC provided a practical and promising method for determining Hg2+ in the environment.

In this work, a simple dichlororesorufin-based colorimetric and fluorescent probe R-Hg with the recognition receptor of carbonothioate was designed, synthesized, and exploited to determine mercury ions in aqueous solution and living cells as well as in zebrafish. After a series of analytical tests, probe R-Hg showed some excellent characteristics, such as ultrasensitivity, high selectivity, and good water solubility. The probe solution exhibited a very large fluorescence enhancement (about 150-fold) upon addition of Hg2+. Additionally, probe R-Hg exhibited excellent sensitivity, which could quantificationally detect Hg2+ at the nanomolar level, and the detection limit was 0.49 nM. Moreover, probe R-Hg could be used as a “naked-eye” probe for monitoring Hg2+, because the color of its solution transformed remarkably from yellow into pink with the participation of Hg2+. Importantly, probe R-Hg has potential application value and has been successfully applied to the determination of Hg2+ in practical water sa...