Hypochlorite/hypochlorous acid (ClO–/HOCl), among
the diverse reactive oxygen species, plays a vital role in various
biological processes. Besides, ClO–is widely known
as a sanitizer for fruits, vegetables, and fresh-cut produce, killing
bacteria and pathogens. However, excessive level of ClO–can lead to the oxidation of biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and
proteins, threatening vital organs. Therefore, reliable and effective
methods are of utmost importance to monitor trace amounts of ClO–. In this work, a novel BODIPY-based fluorescent probe
bearing thiophene and a malononitrile moiety (BOD–CN) was designed and constructed to efficiently detect ClO–, which exhibited distinct features such as excellent selectivity,
sensitivity (LOD = 83.3 nM), and rapid response (<30 s). Importantly,
the probe successfully detected ClO–in various
spiked water, milk, vegetable, and fruit samples. In all,BOD–CNoffers a clearly promising approach to describe the quality of ClO–-added dairy products, water, fresh vegetables, and
fruits.