Highly sensitive turn-on fluorescent probe for the specific detection of cadaverine in shrimp

Abstract

An organic small-molecule fluorescent probe SWJT-36 with an isophorone backbone for the specific detection of cadaverine (Cad), a shrimp spoilage marker, was developed. After the reaction the solution exhibited a distinct color change from pale yellow to deep amber under visible light irradiation, accompanied by intense red fluorescence emission. Particularly, SWJT-36 exhibited high selectivity, low detection limit (2.655 μM), and fast response (t_1/2 = 13.8 min) for Cad. The reaction mechanism of SWJT-36 and Cad was determined by mass spectrometry. And SWJT-36 could be made into portable test strips that could detect Cad, thereby detecting the freshness of shrimp.