Citation: Zhenni Lin, Bangping Hu, Qinian Liu, Yujie Huang, Xing-Can Shen, Hua Chen. Electronic tuning of cyanine for highly specific dual ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging of H₂S₂ in vivo[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 112339. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.112339 shu

Electronic tuning of cyanine for highly specific dual ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging of H₂S₂ in vivo

Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, University Engineering Research Center for Chemistry of Characteristic Medicinal Resources (Guangxi), School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China

xcshen@mailbox.gxnu.edu.cn

chenhuagnu@gxnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 11 November 2025
Revised Date: 24 December 2025
Accepted Date: 28 December 2025
Available Online: 29 December 2025

Figures(7)

Given the critical role of hydrogen persulfide (H₂S₂) in biological systems, its accurate quantification and visualization within deep tissues are essential for understanding associated pathophysiological processes. However, conventional hydrogen polysulfide probes often suffer from inadequate selectivity among reactive sulfur species, limiting their reliability for quantitative imaging applications. Herein, we developed a novel dual ratiometric near-infrared-Ⅱ (NIR-Ⅱ) fluorescence/photoacoustic probe for deep imaging of H₂S₂ with unprecedented specificity through electronic tuning of cyanine. Strong electron-donating moieties were responsible for modulating the specific responsiveness to H₂S₂ over H₂S. Such a designed probe (H₂S₂–4) exhibited robust dual-ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence (I₈₉₀/I₁₀₂₀, 42-fold) and photoacoustic (PA₈₄₀/PA₉₆₀, 4.49-fold) responses towards Na₂S₂ species with high specificity and sensitivity. By use of dual ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging, we successfully mapped endogenous H₂S₂ fluctuations in bacterial infection-induced inflammation models in vivo with enhanced accuracy and reliability. Thus, this study not only provides a versatile tool for dissecting H₂S₂-related biological events but also establishes an electronic-tuning strategy to guide the design of advanced H₂S₂-specific probes.
- Electronic tuning strategy,
- Cyanine,
- Dual ratiometric imaging,
- NIR-Ⅱ,
- H₂S₂ probe
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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Electronic tuning of cyanine for highly specific dual ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging of H2S2 in vivo

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Electronic tuning of cyanine for highly specific dual ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging of H₂S₂ in vivo