Selective detection of HSO3- in living cells using a pyrroloquinoline structure containing turn-on fluorescent probe.

A turn-on fluorescence probe PQP-1 with a pyrroloquinoline skeleton has been designed and synthesized. Probe PQP-1 showed high sensitivity to HSO3-, low detection limit (16.83 nM), and a wide linear range (50-3000 µM). More importantly, probe PQP-1 could distinguish between HSO3- and SO32-. Furthermore, cell imaging experiments of HSO3- in HeLa cells revealed that probe PQP-1 had potential application value in biological systems.