A Fast-Response, Phenanthroimidazole-Based Fluorescent Probe for Selective Detection of HClO

A new phenanthroimidazole-based fluorescence probe for selective detection of HClO was synthesized and characterized using ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, IR, and HRMS. With benzenesulfonohydrazide as the identification group, the probe demonstrated a fast fluorescence response from yellow-green to blue when the HC = N double bond was oxidized and broken into an aldehyde group by HClO. The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity towards HClO with approximately 4.5-fold fluorescence enhancement and has been successfully applied in the molecular logic gate, determination of HClO in environmental water samples, and portable HClO detection.