A versatile AIE probe with two cross-talk-free emissions for dual detection of SO2 and viscosity and its application in food and biological imaging

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and viscosity play important physiological roles in organisms, and real-time detection of their content changes is critical for organisms and human health. Herein, we developed a fluorescence probe NPNB with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) performance and mitochondrial localization effect for simultaneous detection of viscosity and SO 2 . NPNB can realize the efficient and specific detection of SO 2 and viscosity at different emission wavelengths with a cross-talk-free effect, respectively. NPNB showed good sensing performance against SO 2 , including fast response (<7 min), and low detection limit (8.4 nM). Bioimaging experiments indicated that NPNB has good mitochondrial targeting and can achieve cellular imaging of both exogenous and endogenous SO 2 and viscosity. Importantly, NPNB enables real-time imaging of changes in SO 2 and viscosity during mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the resulting probe has been applied to detect SO 2 in food and water samples with a satisfactory recovery (84.46–105.57 %), further demonstrating its compatibility and practicality.