Molecular Engineering of Luminogens for High-Integrity Imaging of Hydrogen Polysulfides via Activatable Aggregation-Induced Dual-Color Fluorescence

Understanding biological events associated with H₂S_n rather than mediated by H₂S is of great significance but remains to be solved due to a lack of high-integrity imaging tools. In this study, we report a chemoselective probe for H₂S_n over H₂S through the molecular engineering of luminogens. Based on our search for H₂S_n-activatable probes with high selectivity, we fabricate water-soluble and biocompatible nanoprobes. Such a designed nanoprobe shows rare aggregation-induced dual-color fluorescence responses to H₂S_n, lighting up bright emissions at 588 and 750 nm, respectively. By use of this activatable dual-color fluorescence, high-integrity identification of intracellular H₂S_n was successfully realized. Thus, our approach to H₂S_n-activated multicolor fluorescent probes could provide valuable insight into interrogating H₂S_n-mediated biological events.