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Fluorescent sensing of formaldehyde (FA) in the environment is of great significance for human health. However, the development of ratiometric fluorescent probes for ultrasensitive FA detection is challenging due to the lack of suitable strategies. In this study, we demonstrate that ratiometric FA nanoprobes can be facile constructed by integrating two simultaneously excitable fluorophores into a polymer matrix. Using this strategy, we developed a ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe (Nano‐FAP‐1) for the highly sensitive detection of FA in environmental samples by incorporating a 4‐hydrazino‐1,8‐naphthalimide derivative (Na‐FA) as the receptor and 7‐diethylaminocoumarin‐3‐carboxyl ethyl acetate (Cou‐1) as the reference into a Pluronic F‐127 matrix. The probe achieved a highly sensitive and selective response to low concentrations of FA, with a response time of fewer than 5 s and a detection limit of 0.407 μM. It is worth noting that the probe can be used for the determination of FA in wood and food samples, demonstrating its potential application in the field of toxic gas monitoring and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratiometric near-infrared fluorescent probes are powerful tools for studying the biological roles of hypochlorite in biological systems. However, due to the lack of suitable fluorescent molecular platforms, the development of near-infrared ratiometric hypochlorite probes remains a challenge. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a near-infrared fluorescent probe PTZCy , which is constructed using a phenothiazine-hemicyanine hybrid framework. The incorporation of phenothiazine into the hemicyanine scaffold enables the probe to exhibit a near-infrared emission maximum at approximately 820 nm, along with a rapid and highly selective ratiometric response to hypochlorite. Importantly, PTZCy can be used to image both endogenous and exogenous hypochlorite in RAW264.7 cells, as well as to perform ratiometric imaging of hypochlorite during the acute liver injury process in living mice. [Display omitted] • A phenothiazine-hemicyanine hybrid framework was rationally designed for detecting ClO−. • The probe exhibited an emission maximum at 820 nm, along with a rapid and highly selective ratiometric response to ClO−. • The probe was employed for ratiometric imaging of ClO− in living cells and in mice experiencing acute liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]