A BODIPY fluorescent probe with selective response for hypochlorous acid and its application in cell imaging

A boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivative with a hydroxymethyl group at the meso-position, 1, was synthesized, which exhibits a highly specific and rapid ‘turn-off’ response for HOCl during confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments under physiological conditions and in live cells. The formation of an electron-withdrawing formyl substituent upon oxidation results in highly efficient nonradiative decay of the S1 state and hence in a drastic decrease in fluorescence emission intensity.