A versatile AIE probe with two cross-talk-free emissions for dual detection of SO2 and viscosity and its application in food and biological imaging

Abstract

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and viscosity play important physiological roles in organisms, and real-time detection of their content changes is critical for organisms and human health. Herein, we developed a fluorescence probe NPNB with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) performance and mitochondrial localization effect for simultaneous detection of viscosity and SO2. NPNB can realize the efficient and specific detection of SO2 and viscosity at different emission wavelengths with a cross-talk-free effect, respectively. NPNB showed good sensing performance against SO2, including fast response (<7 min), and low detection limit (8.4 nM). Bioimaging experiments indicated that NPNB has good mitochondrial targeting and can achieve cellular imaging of both exogenous and endogenous SO2 and viscosity. Importantly, NPNB enables real-time imaging of changes in SO2 and viscosity during mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the resulting probe has been applied to detect SO2 in food and water samples with a satisfactory recovery (84.46–105.57 %), further demonstrating its compatibility and practicality.