Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), a significant member of reactive oxygen species, plays a crucial role in oxidative stress and cell signaling. Abnormal levels of H(2)O(2) in the body can induce damage or even impair body function, leading to the development of certain diseases. Therefore, real-time monitoring of H(2)O(2) in living cells is very important. In this work, the aggregation-induced emission fluorescence probe 2-(2-((4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl) benzyl) oxy) phenyl) imidazo [1,2-a] pyridine (B2) was designed and synthesized, which enables the long-term tracing of H(2)O(2) in living cells. The addition of H(2)O(2) to probe B2 results in a dramatic fluorescence enhancement around 500 nm. Notably, B2 can visualize both exogenous and endogenous H(2)O(2) in living cells. The synthesis method for B2 is simple, has a high yield, and utilizes readily available materials. It exhibits advantages such as low toxicity, photostability, and good biocompatibility. Consequently, the developed fluorescent probe in this study has great potential as a reliable tool for determining H(2)O(2) in living cells.