A boron-dipyrromethene-based fluorescent probe for colorimetric and ratiometric detection of sulfite

BODIPY-Le, a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe based on boron-dipyrromethene for selective detection sulfite ion, was investigated. Boron-dipyrromethene levulinyl ester (BODIPY-Le) is composed of an indole-based BODIPY dye and the levulinyl protective group, which could be easily and selectively deprotected by sulfites. As a result, the absorption and emission spectra show a dramatic red shift, and the development of a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent sulfite probe could be achieved. Besides, BODIPY-Le also exhibited prominent turn-on or turn-off type fluorogenic signaling toward sulfite ions once excited at 510 and 620 nm, respectively.