Abstract
A novel chromenylium-based fluorescent probe was exploited for sulphur dioxide (SO&sub2;) detecting. The probe displayed a remarkable fluorescence turn-on response towards SO&sub2; based on the nucleophilic addition reaction to the carbon-carbon double bond with 105 nm Stock shift. The probe was successfully applied for the quantification of SO&sub2;.The linear detection range was from 0-160 μM with the detection limit as low as 99.27 nM. It also exhibited high selectivity for SO&sub2; than other reactive species and amino acids. Furthermore, cell staining experiments indicated that the probe was cell membrane permeable and could be used for high-performance imaging of SO&sub2; in living cells. The superior properties of the probe made it highly promising for use in chemical and biological applications.