An AIE-activated fluorescent sensor for one-step concurrent detection and bioimaging of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in vitro and in vivo

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have emerged as global concerns due to their environmental persistence and associated toxicity. Therefore, accurate detection of PFOA/PFOS in water samples and biological systems is of great importance. In this study, we have designed and synthesized a novel fluorescent sensor ES based on tetraphenyl derivatives for one-step concurrent detection of PFOA and PFOS. The sensor exhibits a rapid response, high selectivity, high sensitivity, and a large Stokes shift. Both experimental and theoretical calculations indicate that PFOA/PFOS induced aggregation of the sensor ES through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, thereby activating its aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. The sensor ES can be further utilized for the detection of PFOA/PFOS in real water samples, and a portable smartphone-based analyzer system has been developed for rapid on-site detection. In addition, ES demonstrates low biotoxicity, which enhances its applicability in detecting PFOA/PFOS in living cells, zebrafish, and mice. This suggests the potential of ES for biological applications in the real-time monitoring PFOA/PFOS.