A novel fluorescent probe for highly selective and sensitive detection of hypobromous acid in arthritis model mice

•A novel fluorescent probe based on an amidoxime group for HOBr was developed.•The probe holds great photostability and shows real-time response toward HOBr.•The probe shows many advantages over the reported probe designed for detecting HOBr.•The probe has been applied in detecting and monitoring HOBr in arthritis model mice. Hypobromous acid (HOBr), an important active oxygen species in body, plays a critical role in maintaining normal physiology and resisting some diseases. However, due to the extremely low concentration of HOBr in vivo, it is a great challenge to establish an effective analytical method for detection of HOBr. Herein, a novel fluorescent probe for detection of HOBr was synthesized from the reaction between 3-cyanoumbelliferone and hydroxylamine with high yield. The synthesized probe holds great photo-stability and shows real-time response toward HOBr over other reactive oxygen species. The probe has been successfully applied in monitoring HOBr in arthritis model mice and can be used as a real-time monitoring tool for evaluating the development of arthritis in clinic.