| Institution: | 1. MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 P. R. China
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 P. R. China;2. MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631 P. R. China |
| Abstract: | Aiming to develop the facile organic fluorophore possessing excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE), we designed and synthesized two isomers with different linkage site between hydroxyl of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole (HBT) and a benzothiazole substituent (para position refers to p-BHBT and ortho position refers to o-BHBT). Fluorescence emission properties of p-BHBT and o-BHBT in THF/water mixtures with different water volume fractions indicated an opposite luminescence in aggregates, in which p-BHBT showed an ESIPT-dependent AIE properties while o-BHBT displayed ESIPT effect and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) qualities. A possible mechanism for molecular actions to illustrate the aggregating luminescence alteration of these two isomers had been proposed and verified by theoretical and experimental studies. More importantly, Probe-1, generated from dual ESIPT-AIE fluorophore p-BHBT, was successfully used as a ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for highly selective (above 15-fold over other ROS) and sensitive (69-fold fluorescence enhancement with 0.22 μM of detection limit) detection of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution and living cells, respectively. |
