Sulfite, widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries, poses significant health and safety concerns, necessitating efficient detection methods. This study introduces three novel red fluorescent probes (MCC-BT, MCC-TI, and MCC-DM), synthesized by integrating chromene derivatives with various electron-withdrawing groups. These probes effectively detect sulfite in both food samples and living cells, leveraging a mechanism transition from intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) to photo-induced electron transfer (PET). They demonstrate low detection limits (2.0 μM, 0.42 μM, and 0.34 μM, respectively) and offer advantages including large Stokes shifts, minimal interference, and colorimetric capabilities. We also developed smartphone-compatible test paper strips for convenient sulfite detection in real-world samples. The probes' effectiveness is further evidenced through sulfite quantification in Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients. Additionally, their robust fluorescent imaging potential for cellular sulfite sensing highlights their significant contribution to analytical chemistry and biomedical research.

中文翻译：

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基于集成 ICT&PET 平台的铬烯衍生红色荧光探针，用于食品和活细胞中的亚硫酸盐检测

亚硫酸盐广泛用于食品和制药行业，会带来重大的健康和安全问题，因此需要有效的检测方法。本研究介绍了三种新型红色荧光探针（MCC-BT、MCC-TI 和 MCC-DM），它们是通过将色烯衍生物与各种吸电子基团结合而合成的。这些探针利用从分子内电荷转移 (ICT) 到光诱导电子转移 (PET) 的机制转变，有效检测食品样品和活细胞中的亚硫酸盐。它们具有较低的检测限（分别为 2.0 μM、0.42 μM 和 0.34 μM），并具有大斯托克斯位移、最小干扰和比色功能等优势。我们还开发了与智能手机兼容的试纸条，用于方便地检测实际样品中的亚硫酸盐。通过中药成分中亚硫酸盐的定量进一步证明了探针的有效性。此外，它们在细胞亚硫酸盐传感方面的强大荧光成像潜力凸显了它们对分析化学和生物医学研究的重大贡献。