Fluorescence turn-on detection of fluoride using HPQ-silyl ether reactive probes and its in vivo application

Fluoride and its derivatives are implicated in a variety of pathological and physiological conditions and hence play an important role in our daily life. Thus a fluorescent probe that enables the detection and imaging of fluoride in living species is highly demanded. In this study, three turn-on fluorescent probes (HPQF1∼HPQF3) were designed for detecting fluoride with their sensibilities verified by different steric hindrances around silyl ethers. The three HPQ-based probes could quantitatively detect fluoride anion in acetonitrile as well as in water. The fluorescent response time was only a few seconds in acetonitrile, and two different fluorescent sensing channels in acetonitrile (blue) and water (green) were observed by naked eyes. This work also provides a useful method to fluorescently image the presence of fluoride anions in both living cells and specific zebrafish organelles.