Abstract
Gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S), produced enzymatically in body, has important functions in biological signaling and metabolic processes. An abnormal level of H2S expression is associated with different diseases, therefore, development of novel bioanalytical methods for rapid and effective detection of H2S in biological conditions is of great importance. In this work, we report the development of a new responsive nanosensor for ratiometric luminescence detection of H2S in aqueous solution and live cells. The nanosensor (Ru@FITC-MSN) was prepared by immobilizing a luminescent ruthenium(II) (Ru(II)) complex into a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated water-dispersible mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN), showing dual emission bands at 520 nm (FITC) and 600 nm (Ru complex). The red luminescence of the formed Ru@FITC-MSN was quenched in the presence of Cu2+. The in-situ generated Ru–Cu@FITC-MSN responded to H2S rapidly and selectively, showing a linear ratiometric luminescence change in FITC and Ru(II) channels with the H2S concentration (0.5–4 μM). Limit of detection (LoD) and limit of quantification (LoQ) were determined to be 0.36 and 1.21 μM. Followed by investigation of cellular uptake processes, the utility of the nanosensor for ratiometric imaging of H2S in live cells and its capability to monitor H2S levels in inflammatory breast cancer cells were then demonstrated. This study provides a powerful approach for detection of highly reactive and unstable H2S biomolecules in live systems.
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