A perylenemonoimide-based fluorescent probe: ultrasensitive and selective tracing of endogenous peroxynitrite in living cells.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO ^- ), a highly reactive species, plays a key role in various physiological and pathological processes. Herein, a red-emitting fluorescent reporter perylenemonoimide-boronate ester (PMI-BE) was synthesized and utilized for ultrasensitive detection of ONOO ^- . The unique feature of PMI-BE is its nanomolar sensitivity with high selectivity towards ONOO ^- . Moreover, PMI-BE also detects endogenously generated ONOO ^- in live cells.