A quick response fluorescent probe based on coumarin and quinone for glutathione and its application in living cells

We have designed and synthesized a simple but effective fluorescent probe for sensing glutathione (GSH) by PET process based on coumarin and quinone , which worked as fluorophore and reaction site, respectively. The probe could discriminate GSH from cysteine and homocysteine within 1 min in PBS-buffered solution. The sensing mechanism was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT), viscosity test, fluorescence spectrum analysis and HRMS , respectively. The probe has a low limit of detection (0.1 μM) and finally been used in cell imaging successfully.