An AIE based fluorescent chemosensor for ratiometric detection of hypochlorous acid and its application

[Display omitted] •A ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor with AIE feature was developed.•It displayed fast fluorescence response to HClO with high selectivity and sensitivity.•It was applicable for ratiometric imaging of intracellular HClO.•It can conveniently and effectively detect HClO on test papers. Detecting and imaging intracellular hypochlorous acid (HClO) is of great importance owning to its prominent role in numerous pathological and physiological processes. In this contribution, a novel AIE-based fluorescent chemosensor has been developed by employing a benzothiazole derivative. The synthesized probe displayed remarkable ratiometric fluorescent response to HClO with a large emission shift (139 nm), resulting in naked-eye fluorescence changes from red to blue. Under the optimal conditions, this probe was capable of quantitatively detecting HClO within 10 s, and possessed good sensitivity and high selectivity toward HClO over other biologically relevant species. Moreover, it has been successfully utilized to image the exogenous and endogenous HClO in living cells through dual channels, and conveniently detect hypochlorous acid solution on test strips with better accuracy, demonstrating its potential for monitoring HClO in biological and environment fields.