ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

A novel triphenylamine-based fluorescent probe for bisulfite detection in red wine and white sugar samples

Yizhu Jiang, Xiaoling Hu, Keli Zhong, Tianyu Liang, Chengyan Wu, Mingyu Tian, and Lijun Tang

College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Institute of Ocean Research, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China

E-mail: zhongkeli2000@bhu.edu.cn

Received: 19 August 2025  Accepted: 20 April 2026

Abstract:

Bisulfite (HSO₃⁻) is widely used as a preservative and antibacterial agent, and its abuse and residues have long been a focal point in analytical detection. Its monitoring is of significant importance to food safety. In this study, a triphenylamine derivative (TPA-tpd) was synthesized, which exhibits no fluorescence in a DMSO/Tris (3/7, v/v, pH = 7.4) solution. The nucleophilic addition reaction between HSO₃⁻ and TPA-tpd generates strong fluorescence, thus achieving fluorescent “turn-on” recognition of HSO₃⁻. TPA-tpd exhibits excellent anti-interference ability, a low detection limit (0.17 µM), and a fast response time for HSO₃⁻ detection. It enables dual-channel detection of HSO₃⁻ through both colorimetric and fluorescence methods. Application studies demonstrate that TPA-tpd can detect HSO₃⁻ in red wine and white sugar samples with high accuracy and precision, and it also enables fluorescence imaging of HSO₃⁻ in living cells. TPA-tpd maintains a low cytotoxicity and provides a novel tool for detection in the food safety field and fluorescence imaging in the biological system.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Triphenylamine; Bisulfite; Fluorescent probe; Real sample; Fluorescence imaging

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04939-7

Chemical Papers 80 (8) 9123–9131 (2026)