A highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for tracking hydrogen sulfide in red wine

Abstract A novel fluorescent H 2 S probe ( LODNBS ) composed of 2,4‐dinitrobenzenesulfonyl (DNBS) units was designed and synthesized. The DNBS units not only blocked PET and ICT effects, but also triggered H 2 S‐mediated thiolysis to cause the fluorescence changes. Probe LODNBS performed excellent sensitivity and selectivity for H 2 S, strong fluorescence enhancement (65‐fold), low detection limit (72 nM) and real‐time response (within 5 min). The sensing mechanism of LODNBS towards H 2 S was proposed and verified by ESI‐MS and 1 H NMR analysis. Under a UV lamp, the fluorescence color changes could be easily detected by the naked eye. In addition, the probe LODNBS could track H 2 S in red wine samples with high accuracy and good recovery, and has practical value in food analysis.