Chemical synthesis and analytical profiling of NTSH: a versatile probe for hydrogen sulfide sensing and cellular imaging

Abstract The development of novel probes featuring diverse structural motifs, with promising applications in H₂S detection and cellular imaging remains a central focus of scientific research. This study details the synthesis of 4-methyl-N-(6-nitro-1,3-dioxo-1H-benzo[de]isoquinolin-2(3H)-yl)benzenesulfonamide (NTSH), which involves a condensation reaction between commercially available 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride and p-toluenesulfonyl hydrazide in glacial acetic acid. The H₂S probe exhibits detection limits of 166 μM in fluorometric, 15.08 mM in absorbance, 2.48 mM in colorimetric, and 29 nM in electrochemical studies. The versatility of NTSH in sensing endogenous H₂S and bioimaging of HEK 293T cells highlights its potential applicability in chemical biology research. The tendency of NTSH to undergo chemical changes in the presence of H₂S to induce noticeable optical and electrochemical responses could lay the groundwork for creating sensitive and selective sensing platforms.