| Summary: | Hypochlorite anion (ClO<sup>−</sup>) is a widely-used disinfectant and a microbicidal agent in the immune system. Accurate detection of ClO<sup>−</sup> in environmental and biological samples by simply prepared chemosensors/chemodosimeters is important. Herein, we report that a naphthalimide–sulfonylhydrazine conjugate with an imine (C=N) linker, prepared via simple condensation, acts as an effective fluorescent chemodosimeter for ClO<sup>−</sup>. The molecule exhibits a weak emission, but ClO<sup>−</sup>-selective cleavage of its C=N bond creates a strong green emission. Ab initio calculation showed that the emission enhancement by ClO<sup>−</sup> originates from the suppression of intramolecular electron transfer from the photoexcited naphthalimide through the C=N linker. This response enables selective and sensitive detection of ClO<sup>−</sup> at physiological pH range (7–9) and allows fluorometric ClO<sup>−</sup> imaging in the presence of cells.
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