A highly specific ferrocene-based fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid and its application to cell imaging

Abstract

A highly specific ferrocene-based fluorescent probe, (9-anthryl)ethenylferrocene, has been designed, synthesized and characterized for fluorescence imaging of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in live cells. The design strategy for the probe is based on the strong quenching effect of electron-donor ferrocene on anthracene fluorescence via an intramolecular charge transfer process, and is accomplished through constructing the conjugated molecule by using a cleavable double bond as a linker. The double bond in the probe reacts selectively with HOCl rather than the other reactive oxygen species (e.g., ˙OH, ˙O₂⁻, ¹O₂, and H₂O₂) in pH 7.4, accompanied by more than 100-fold fluorescence enhancement. Moreover, the probe is cell membrane permeable, and its applicability has been successfully demonstrated for fluorescence imaging of HOCl in HeLa cells.