Hypochlorite (ClO⁻) plays a significant role in biological systems, particularly in immune responses and oxidative stress-related diseases. Its dysregulation has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral ischemia, and cancer. Accurate detection of ClO⁻ is therefore crucial for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Traditional analytical methods like electrochemical analysis, colorimetry, and chromatography often require complex procedures and are typically limited to organic or mixed solvents, which restricts their utility in aqueous environments. To address this limitation, the development of rapid, sensitive, and selective fluorescent sensors for ClO⁻ in water is highly desirable.
In this study, a novel fluorescent sensor based on thiophene-cyanostilbene Schiff-base (TCS) was designed and synthesized. The sensor leverages the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect, enabling strong fluorescence in aqueous media. TCS exhibits excellent photostability and high quantum yield in THF-H₂O mixtures with 90% water content, where the fluorescence intensity increases significantly due to restricted intramolecular rotation upon aggregation. Upon exposure to ClO⁻, the fluorescence of TCS is dramatically quenched, while other cations and anions show negligible interference, demonstrating exceptional selectivity.
The detection limit of TCS for ClO⁻ reaches as low as 3.MAGEB4 Antibody supplier 2 × 10⁻⁸ M, making it one of the most sensitive probes reported to date.1082744-20-4 Synonym Mechanistic investigations using FT-IR, ¹H NMR, MS, and Job’s plot confirmed that ClO⁻ oxidizes the sulfur atom in the thiophene ring to form a sulfone group. This structural change disrupts the π-conjugation and enhances non-radiative decay pathways, resulting in fluorescence quenching. DFT calculations further supported this mechanism by showing a significant increase in the HOMO-LUMO energy gap after oxidation, consistent with the observed blue shift in emission.
The sensor was successfully applied to detect ClO⁻ in real-world samples, including commercial disinfectants, with results closely matching those obtained via iodometric titration.PMID:35034599 Additionally, TCS demonstrated outstanding performance in live-cell imaging using MCF-7 cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed bright fluorescence in cells pre-incubated with TCS, which was almost completely suppressed upon addition of ClO⁻, confirming its ability to trace intracellular ClO⁻ levels dynamically. No significant cytotoxicity was observed at working concentrations, indicating good biocompatibility.
These findings highlight the potential of TCS as a powerful tool for both in vitro assays and in vivo monitoring of hypochlorite. Its high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, low detection limit, and compatibility with living systems make it a promising candidate for biomedical applications, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics.MedChemExpress (MCE) offers a wide range of high-quality research chemicals and biochemicals (novel life-science reagents, reference compounds and natural compounds) for scientific use. We have professionally experienced and friendly staff to meet your needs. We are a competent and trustworthy partner for your research and scientific projects.Related websites: https://www.medchemexpress.com