A Benzothiazole-based Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Benzoyl Peroxide and Its Applications for Living Cells Imaging

We present herein a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe (1) for benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Probe 1 was obtained by coupling the recognition unit of arylboronate to a benzothiazole-derived fluorophore. The probe solution is colorless and displays weak blue fluorescence at 460 nm. Upon the addition of BPO, the arylboronate substituent can be removed via oxidation and 1,4-elimination processes. The released fluorophore emits strong yellow-greenish fluorescence at 546 nm. The ratiometric response of the probe is highly selective and sensitive for BPO. The dynamic range was fitted over 1.0 – 75.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.26 μM. In addition, the probe was applied to quantitative detection of BPO in real samples of wheat flour and an antimicrobial agent. Cellular experiments further demonstrated that probe 1 can be effectively utilized for imaging BPO in living cells.