A hemicyanine-based near-infrared fluorescent probe for vapor-phase hydrazine detection and bioimaging in a complete aqueous media.

A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe CyOE based on hemicyanine dye containing acetyl as a recognition site is reported. The probe CyOE shows high selectivity and sensitivity (LOD = 82 nM, 2.58 ppb), as well as good water solubility and quantitative detectability of hydrazine in the concentration range of 0-75 μM (R = 0.993). Moreover, CyOE has a significant increase in fluorescence at 735 nm with the addition of NH, which provides a rapid, colorimetric and gas-phase detection method for NH in both aqueous solution and real water samples. In addition, CyOE is successfully utilized to visualize hydrazine in cells with low cytotoxicity and high cell permeability.