An efficient hemicyanine dyes-based ratiometric fluorescence probe for sulfur dioxide derivatives in live-cells and seawater.

In life systems, sulfurdioxide (SO2) has very important function in several physiological processes, which can be generated endogenously during the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing amino acids. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescence probe CY carried with the structure of hemicyanine dyes has been developed to track SO2 derivatives through Michael-addition reaction. The solution of CY shows significant changes from yellow to colorless after adding the SO32-/HSO3- in day light within 2 min. Successfully, probe CY can detect SO2 derivatives in living cells and seawater. Furthermore, probe CY also be used to monitor the change of SO2 derivatives in seawater. These results give evidence of the potential application of CY in future biomedical diagnosis and marine environment research.