Development of a rapid and sensitive fluorescent probe for high-throughput detecting SO2 in food samples

Sulfur dioxide (SO), widely used as an antioxidant and preservative in food production, has been associated with detrimental cardiovascular and neurological effects when consumed excessively. This highlights the pressing need to develop a fast and sensitive probe capable of high-throughput screening for the quantitative determination of SO in food. Herein, we synthesized a new fluorescent probe, namely B3, specifically designed for high-throughput detection of SO in food. The vinyl chloride aldehyde within the B3 structure engages in a nucleophilic addition reaction with SO, contributing to B3′s exceptional selectivity for SO, and fast response time within 9 s. Furthermore, by integrating B3 with a microplate reader, we effectively achieved high-throughput detection of SO concentration up to 45 μM within a pH range of 5.5 to 8.0 in real food samples. This accomplishment serves as a significant contribution to ensuring consumer safety and facilitating health assessments.