A Cellulose-Based Fluorescent Probe with Large Stokes Shift for Efficient Detection of Hypochlorous Acid and Its Functionalized Application

Hypochlorous acid (HClO), as an oxidizing agent, is widely used in disinfection and sterilization in daily life. However, exposure to high concentrations of HClO is toxic to humans and animals. Therefore, it is important to realize efficient real-time detection of HClO in the environment. Herein, a cellulose-based fluorescent probe EC-YB for real-time detection of HClO was synthesized by esterification reaction using ethyl cellulose as a carrier. The probe EC-YB showed a significant fluorescence enhancement response to HClO. The EC-YB can selectively detect HClO with high sensitivity, anti-interference ability, and large Stokes shift (120 nm), and the limit of detection for HClO was 4.9 × 10−7 M. In addition, the probe EC-YB was successfully used for the determination of HClO in the environment and food. Notably, in order to further expand the application scenario of probe EC-YB in HClO detection, we successfully prepared electrostatically spun fiber membrane P-YB by mixing probe EC-YB with polystyrene, and successfully used it for selective detection and confocal imaging of HClO.