A smart fluorescent probe for discriminative detection of hydrazine and bisulfite from different emission channels

Hydrazine and bisulfite are poisonous to the environment and human health, hence it is necessary to monitor hydrazine and bisulfite in the environment and living cells. In this study, we reported a smart fluorescent probe (CMCA) for discriminative detection of hydrazine and bisulfite. The single fluorescent probe can respond to hydrazine and bisulfite with two different sets of colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence signals together with high selectivity, fast response and low detection limit. The discriminative sensing behaviors of the probe for hydrazine and bisulfite were ascribed to different reaction mechanisms, which were confirmed by 1H NMR and HR-MS spectra. The probe has been successfully used to discriminatively determine hydrazine and bisulfite in industrial wastewater with good recoveries. Furthermore, the probe was employed to visualize hydrazine and bisulfite in live cells from different fluorescence channels with good performance. Therefore, this probe has great potential applications for discriminative detection of hydrazine and bisulfite in the environment and living cells.