A novel dual-lock-dual-key naphthalimide-based fluorescent probe for the detection of H2S and H2O2.

H2S and H2O2 participate in various biochemical reactions as active signaling molecules and maintain cellular homeostasis during oxidative stress. Current methods for detecting H2S and H2O2 mostly rely on their respective single-detection systems, while the research on dual-detection systems for both substances remains less explored. Herein, we rationally constructed a new naphthalimide-based fluorescence probe P1 for the simultaneous detection of H2S and H2O2 using the dual-lock strategy. P1 consists of naphthalimide fluorephore, the disulfide bond-containing ferrocene (first lock) and the boronic acid pinacol ester (second lock), which undergoes dual-locked control mediated by ICT and PET mechanisms, resulting in significant quenching of its green fluorescence. Only when H2S and H2O2 coexist to form a molecular "AND" logic gate, the boronic acid pinacol ester in P1 reacts with H2O2 to generate a hydroxyl group, and H2S cleaves the disulfide bond to release the ferrocene moiety, leading to the activated ICT effect and the interruption of the PET process, which prominently enhances the green fluorescence of P1. Moreover, P1 has excellent fluorescence imaging capabilities, enabling it to simultaneously investigate the level fluctuations of H2S and H2O2 in living cells.