Ratiometric Polymer Probe for Detection of Peroxynitrite and the Application for Live-Cell Imaging

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) is one of the sources of oxidation stress involved in many biological signaling pathways. The role of ONOO− being a double-edged sword in biological systems drives the development of effective detection tools. In this work, a boronate-based polymeric fluorescent probe PB-PVA was synthesized and the probe performance was evaluated. The probe exhibits ratiometric sensing of ONOO− in a range of 0–6 µM. There is good linear relationship between the probe fluorescence intensity ratio and ONOO− concentration. The probe also displays moderate selectivity towards ONOO− over other ROS. Moreover, it is water-soluble and possesses good biocompatibility which aids the imaging of ONOO− in living cells. These properties could make the probe a promising tool in in vitro study related to ONOO−.