A simple and sensitive coumarin-based fluorescence probe (ZXD-1) for determination of hydrogen peroxide and its application in bioimaging

A novel coumarin-based fluorescence probe (ZXD-1) was synthesized for detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The assay is carried out through the fluorescence recovery of the probe by the breaking of easter group in the presence of H2O2. And the degree of fluorescence increase of the probe at 455 nm is linearly related to the concentration in the range of 0–50 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) for H2O2 is 0.18 μM. This method was proved to be with excellent specificity and sensitivity. This probe was further used to image RAW264.7 macrophage cells and zebrafish based on the specifical response to H2O2, which showed its good cell-membrane permeability and its potential ability of detecting H2O2 in living organisms. Moreover, it can be successfully applied for detecting H2O2 in real water samples.