Construction of robust fluorescent probe for CO detection and assessment of the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy acute CO poisoning.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, toxic, and polluting gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances such as coal and petroleum. CO is also a gaseous signaling molecule, which participates in and regulates a series of physiological and pathological processes. In this work, two kinds of CO-activated fluorescence probes 2 and 4 were designed and synthesized for the rapid detection of CO and evaluation of acute CO poisoning by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Specifically, 2 and 4 both used the allyl formate group as the CO response unit and when they reacted with CO, the response group broke off and the fluorescence burst effect subsided, allowing them to regain fluorescence. In addition, because of the excellent optical properties of 4 (especially, colorimetric and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence), subsequent experiments were performed with 4 as a representative for imaging CO in zebrafish and mice with impressive results. Interestingly, 4 has been successfully used for assessing acute CO poisoning by hyperbaric oxygen therapy with satisfactory results, revealing practical application in the connection between CO and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.