New fluorescent and colorimetric probe for cyanide: direct reactivity, high selectivity, and bioimaging application

Taking advantage of the special nucleophilicity of cyanide, a new ratiometric fluorescent and colorimetric probe (Coum-1) was designed by tuning the π-conjugated bridge to affect the intramolecular charge transfer efficiency. Upon the addition of CN(-) anion, the probe displayed very large blue-shift in both fluorescence (90 nm) and absorption (90 nm) spectra, with the detection limit of 800 nM. Other anions gave nearly no interference. Furthermore, Coum-1 was successfully applied to the fluorescent microscopic imaging for the detection of CN(-) in HeLa cells.