Versatile organic fluorescent probes for imaging reactive oxygen species in living cells and <italic>in vivo</italic>

Abstract

<p indent="0mm"><b/>Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are oxygen metabolites formed during aerobic metabolism. They are implicated in a number of physiological and pathological processes in cells and are related to the occurrence and progression of various diseases. To study the role that ROS play in relevant physiopathological events, it is essential to develop effective methods to monitor ROS in living organisms. Fluorescent probe-based imaging techniques have emerged as a powerful tool for monitoring bioactive molecules in cells and <italic>in vivo</italic>, due to its high sensitivity and high spatiotemporal resolution. From the point of the construction of probes, this review systematically summarized the recent progress in the development of ROS organic fluorescent probes, with focus on the design strategies, reaction mechanisms and biological applications. Meanwhile, the research progress achieved by our group was also introduced. Finally, the challenges and future directions of this promising field were discussed.