Recent development of fluorescent probes for hydrogen per/polysulfides

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrogen per/polysulfides (H2Sn, n ≥ 2) play vital roles in human health, but their specific biological functions and mechanisms are not fully understood.
• Real-time monitoring of H2Sn is essential for elucidating their biological significance.
• Development of sensitive and selective fluorescent probes is critical for H2Sn detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in fluorescent probe design for H2Sn detection.
• To highlight strategies for achieving selectivity and optimizing fluorescence.
• To discuss future directions for H2Sn probe development and application in biological systems.

Main Methods:

• Focus on chemical strategies for H2Sn-specific recognition moieties.
• Exploration of compatible fluorescent dyes for probe construction.
• Leveraging the higher nucleophilicity of H2Sn compared to other biological thiols.

Main Results:

• Recent probes (2023-2026) employ diverse chemical approaches for selective H2Sn detection.
• Strategies focus on enhancing probe sensitivity and fluorescence 'turn-on' responses.
• The nucleophilicity of H2Sn is a key property exploited in probe design.

Conclusions:

• Significant progress has been made in designing fluorescent probes for H2Sn.
• Further development is needed to optimize selectivity and sensitivity for biological applications.
• These probes hold great promise for advancing our understanding of H2Sn in human health.