A fluorescent probe with large Stokes for rapid detection of ammonia based on BINOL

Abstract

Ammonia is a common toxic gas in industrial and agricultural production, which will cause harm to the environment and human health in certain extent. Here, a novel fluorescent probe (R)-1 based on 1,1′-binaphthol (BINOL) was synthesized for real-time, on-site and quantitative detection of ammonia. The mechanism study shows that the functional groups of –CHO and –OH on (R)-1 interact with ammonia, which changes the electronic state of the probe molecule and excites strong fluorescence. A test strip for rapid detection of ammonia was developed, which changed from light yellow to reddish brown under natural light after interacting with ammonia, thus realizing the rapid detection and easy visualization of ammonia. Meanwhile, bioimaging experiments shows that probe (R)-1 can detect exogenous ammonia in cells.