Hydrogen polysulfides(H₂S_n, n > 1), derived from hydrogen sulfide (H₂S),have been considered to be involved in cytoprotective processes and redoxsignaling. The emerging evidences imply that the actual signaling molecule is H₂S_n rather thanH₂S. In this work, we present a near-infrared fluorescent probe BD-ssfor the selective detection of H₂S_n biosynthetic pathwaysin living cells and in vivo. The probe is constructed by equipping abis-electrophilic H₂S_n capture group p-nitrofluorobenzoiate to a near-infrared fluorophore azo-BODIPY.BD-ss can provide a remarkable turn-on fluorescence response for assessingendogenous H₂S_n formation ways in serum, in living cellsand in vivo.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for thedetection of hydrogen polysulfides biosynthetic pathways in living cells and in vivo

Min Gao,^† Rui Wang,^† FabiaoYu,* Jinmao You, and Lingxin Chen* Analyst, 2015,DOI: 10.1039/C4AN02366H