A colorimetric and near-infrared fluorescent probe for hydrogen polysulfides and its application in living cells

[Display omitted] •A NIR probe for fluorescence “off-on” detection of hydrogen polysulfides.•The probe detects H2Sn selectively and sensitively with dual signal changes.•The probe has proven suitable for monitoring endogenous H2Sn in living cells. The development of probes for rapid, selective, and sensitive detection of the hydrogen polysulfides is of great importance in biological science. We report here a new Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent off-on probe for selective and sensitive detection of hydrogen polysulfides (H2Sn) with colorimetric and NIR fluorescent dual signal changes. The probe was synthesized by an esterification reaction coupling between a dicyanomethylene-benzopyran (DCMB) dye and a bis-electrophilic H2Sn capture group 2-fluoro-5-nitrobenzoic acid. The probe showed a specific off-on response to H2Sn in aqueous solution with nanomolar LOD, and without interference by a range of competing sulfocompounds and several reactive nitrogen and oxygen species. Moreover, it can be used for imaging of endogenous H2Sn in living cells.