Yonghe Tang

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is not only a toxic environmental pollutant but also a key indicator of food spoilage, thus driving the demand for reliable detection tools. Herein, a novel fluorescent probe based on 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)thiophene-2- carbaldehyde was developed for the selective detection of H₂S. In a DMSO/PBS system, the probe demonstrated excellent sensing performance, including high selectivity, a rapid "turn-on" fluorescence response, as well as good photostability and pH stability. Fluorescence titration and competitive experiments confirmed its low detection limit and strong anti-interference ability. The recognition mechanism was further verified by HRMS analysis and DFT calculations. Furthermore, the probe was successfully fabricated into test strips and fluorescent films for the convenient and visual detection of H₂S in liquid and solid samples. In the field of food safety, the probe was also effectively applied for the rapid assessment of the freshness of various meat products (such as fish, pork, chicken, and shrimp), offering a new and reliable tool for real-time monitoring.

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is not only a toxic environmental pollutant but also a key indicator of food spoilage, thus driving the demand for reliable detection tools. Herein, a novel fluorescent probe based on 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)thiophene-2- carbaldehyde was developed for the selective detection of H₂S. In a DMSO/PBS system, the probe demonstrated excellent sensing performance, including high selectivity, a rapid "turn-on" fluorescence response, as well as good photostability and pH stability. Fluorescence titration and competitive experiments confirmed its low detection limit and strong anti-interference ability. The recognition mechanism was further verified by HRMS analysis and DFT calculations. Furthermore, the probe was successfully fabricated into test strips and fluorescent films for the convenient and visual detection of H₂S in liquid and solid samples. In the field of food safety, the probe was also effectively applied for the rapid assessment of the freshness of various meat products (such as fish, pork, chicken, and shrimp), offering a new and reliable tool for real-time monitoring.

Stress is a high-risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD) with hippocampal damage and monoamine deficiency. Surprisingly, the administration of gaseous or aqueous formaldehyde (FA) causes depressive symptoms in both animals and humans, though whether endogenous FA induces depression is unclear. Here, we report that stress-derived FA promotes depression onset. In this study, endogenous FA concentrations in mice and human induced by acute or chronic stress were quantified by a FA-sensitive fluorescence probe. Acute infusion and chronic FA injection were used to mimic depressive behaviors in mice under chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Patch clamp recorded FA-inhibited hippocampal CA1 discharges, while mass spectrometry and spectrophotometry examined FA-inactivated monoamine. The software of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to quantify hippocampal CA1 atrophy in adolescents with MDD. Biochemical tests were applied for evaluating the link between FA levels and depression severity in MDD patients. Various bioinformatics methods were used to explore FA’s connection to depression-related pathways. Metabolomics data from MENDA were used to identify FA accumulation and monoamine deficiency in depression models and MDD patients. Our results showed that in cellular and mouse models, glutamic acid and both acute and chronic stress triggered FA production in hippocampal CA1 neurons. Excessive FA indued depressive behaviors due to FA buildup and decreased serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin levels in the extracellular space. Especially, excessive FA deactivated these monoamines, damaged hippocampal CA1 structure, and reduced neuroexcitability. Remarkably, adolescent MDD patients showed hippocampal CA1 atrophy and monoamine deficiencies, with blood FA levels predicting depression severity. These findings suggest that stress-derived FA serves as a critical trigger of depression by inactivating monoamines and impairing hippocampal CA1.

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), as one of the critical gaseous signaling molecules, has important physiological functions in the human body, and abnormal levels of hydrogen sulfide are closely related to tumors, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other diseases. In order to enable the detection of H₂S in the physiological environment, herein, a new H₂S fluorescence probe, named C-HS, based on a coumarin–chalcone fluorescence platform was developed. The fluorescence probe provides specific recognition of H₂S within a wide pH detection range (5.5–8.5), a rapid recognition response (within 10 min) for H₂S molecules, and a high selectivity for competing species. The probe C-HS possesses low cytotoxicity and is used to achieve the detection of exogenous/ endogenous H₂S in living cells, indicating that the constructed probe C-HS has the ability to track changes in intracellular H₂S levels. Therefore, probe C-HS could be a potential tool for the early diagnosis of H₂S-related diseases.

Anelectrochemical synthetic strategy to construct P-(O)-Fbonds was developed via the Atherton-Todd reaction. Promotedby Et4NCl, a series of biologically active phosphoric fluorideswere synthesized by use of commercially available P-(O)-H feedstocksand Et3N center dot 3HF as the F-source. With this protocol,some potentially functional P-(O)-OR and P-(O)-SR motifscould also be smoothly forged. This sustainable fluorination approachfeatures step-economy, is chemical-oxidant- and metal-catalyst-free,and offers low cost and mild conditions. Additionally, cyclic voltammetryand control experiments were conducted to propose a reasonable mechanism.