Visualization of sulfur mustard in living cells and whole animals with a selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescent probe

Abstract Sulfur mustard is a potent blister agent and one of the most harmful chemical warfare agents. To explore the toxicokinetics and biodistribution of SM, a reliable detection method for monitoring sulfur mustard would be indispensable. We describe the design, synthesis and application of a selective and sensitive turn-on fluorescent probe for sulfur mustard detection. A good linear relationship between fluorescence emission intensity and SM concentration was observed. The probe, SM-Flu, was applied to the determination and imaging of sulfur mustard in living cells and Aurelia coerulea polyps. With SM-Flu, concentration and time profiles for SM in mouse brain after exposure to SM were first measured.