A highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for N₂H₄ in air and living cells

Hydrazine (N₂H₄) is considered as an environmental contaminant and a potential carcinogen, and its large-scale application could pose a great threat to the environment and human health. In the present work, a new colorimetric and fluorescent probe NAA was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of N₂H₄ in air and aqueous solution. The probe shows a selective response to N₂H₄ against various interferences (e.g., anions, cations, amines and small biomolecules) and a detection limit as low as 0.716 ppb (22.5 nM) far below the threshold limit value (10 ppb) of EPA. By observing the color and fluorescence changes, the test strip coated with NAA provides an economical and convenient tool for the rapid detection of N₂H₄ gas. Moreover, the probe was proved to possess low cytotoxicity as well as good membrane permeability and thus shows great potential in N₂H₄ imaging in living cells.