A review of optical probes based on nanomaterials for the detection of hydrogen sulfide in biosystems

It has become increasingly crucial to implement the precise determination of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in biosystems since the abnormal level of H₂S may induce various diseases. However, due to the high volatility and fast catabolism of H₂S, traditional H₂S detection methods are confronted with great challenges. Fortunately, the development of optical nanotechnology sheds new light on the real-time and sensitive detection of intracellular or subcellular H₂S. Nanomaterials emerged as potential candidates for the optical detection of biomolecule analytes due to their excellent properties, such as easy preparation and modification, tunable optical characteristics and high photostability. Recently, many probes based on nanomaterials, ranging from inorganic nanostructures to organic polymers, have been demonstrated to exhibit high sensitive and selective detection toward H₂S both in vitro and in vivo. Different from the previous review articles, we mainly summarize the advancements of optical probes, including fluorescence and non-fluorescence probes, for endogenous H₂S detection based on nanomaterials in recent five years.