A Stable and Highly Sensitive Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Hypochlorite Ion In Vitro and in Living Cells

We designed and synthesized 2-[(2-amino-5-nitro-phenylamino)-methyl]-5-diethylamino-phenol (L1) as a stable and highly sensitive hypochlorite probe. L1 may be used in both colorimetric and fluorometric applications, as well as in paper-strip detection for selective hypochlorite ion sensing. In this study, we successfully applied L1 to the imaging of local hypochlorite generation in the endosomes, including phagosomes, of living cells. Thus, L1 is an appropriate probe for the detection and visualization of hypochlorite ions in vitro and in living cells.