Development of red fluorescent probe for visual detection of N2H4 via nanofiber membrane and its application in environmental analysis and biological imaging

Abstract

Hydrazine (N₂H₄) is widely used in most industrial production. It is a harmful environmental pollutant and has strong toxicity to living organisms. Hence, it is imperative to employ approach for the real-time monitoring and tracking of N₂H₄. In this study, we developed the fluorescent probe DYY, incorporating an acetyl group as the recognition moiety, to achieve efficient detection of N₂H₄. The findings revealed that DYY exhibits excellent sensitivity (with a detection limit of 81 nM) and a wide pH range (2-8) in the detection of N₂H₄. Notably, upon the addition of N₂H₄, the color of the DYY solution transitioned from purple to blue, accompanied the fluorescence intensity increased by 11-fold increase in 643 nm. In addition, DYY demonstrated its capability in detecting N₂H₄ contamination within environmental water samples. Significantly, polymer nanofibers embedded with DYY were fabricated through the process of electrospinning, allowing for the visual identification of N₂H₄. Furthermore, it showed excellent performance in detecting N₂H₄ in HepG2 cells and zebrafish, demonstrating its potential for labeling N₂H₄ in living systems. Therefore, we are confident that this probe holds significant potential for environmental analysis and the detection of health indicators in living organisms.