Towards perylenequinonoid: Effective application to reversible fluorescent probe for monitoring hydrogen persulfide in solvents and living cells

Hydrogen persulfide (H₂S₂), as a direct redox form of H₂S, may have its own physiological processes in maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis. The research on hydrogen persulfide was rapidly growing. As it is the actual signalling molecules derived from hydrogen sulfide, reversible detection of hydrogen persulfide changes in cells is of great significance. To address this critical need, we present a reversible fluorescent switch-on H₂S₂ probe, the tautomeric of 6, 7-dihydroxyperylene-1, 12-quinone (DHPQ), capable of tracking H₂S₂ in solvents and living cells. The probe can be applied to quantified H₂S₂ expressions ranging linearly from 2.0×10^-6 to 2.0×10^-5 M. The limit of detection was found to be 1.82×10^-8M. In addition, the fluorescent alterations are remarkably specific for H₂S₂ in the presence of other reactive sulfur species. These features are favorable for imaging application. Taking advantage of favorable cycle stability and admirable selectivity, the DHPQ dye can be used as a reversible fluorescent platform to construct novel H₂S₂ probes. Since such reversible H₂S₂ probes are rare, this work provide a potential approach for reversible probing fluctuation of hydrogen persulfide in biological systems.