A fast-response fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid detection and its application in exogenous and endogenous HOCl imaging of living cells

A facile fluorescent probe (NBD-DOP) has been developed to detect hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in this study. The probe consists of a NBD fluorophore and a dopamine moiety that reacts with HOCl specifically. The dopamine group quenches the fluorescence of NBD efficiently through a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effect. Experimental data showed that NBD-DOP could detect HOCl with ultrafast response, high sensitivity and high selectivity in a wide pH range. The probe could also be used to detect the myeloperoxidase enzyme that produces HOCl. Moreover, NBD-DOP has been applied in the imaging of exogenous and endogenous HOCl in living cells by confocal fluorescence microscopy.