Development of a Two-Photon Fluorescent Probe for Imaging of Endogenous Formaldehyde in Living Tissues

Investigation of the physiological and pathological functions of formaldehyde (FA) are largely restricted by a lack of useful FA imaging agents, in particular, those that allow detection of FA in the context of living tissues. Herein, we present the rational design, synthesis, and photophysical property studies of the first two-photon fluorescent FA probe, Na-FA. Importantly, the highly desirable attributes of the probe Na-FA (such as a very large turn-on signal (up to 900-fold), a low detection limit, and a very fast onset imparted by the unique design aspects of the probe), make it possible to monitor endogenous FA in living tissues for the first time. Furthermore, sodium bisulfite was identified as a simple and convenient inhibitor of FA within biological environments.