Design and Preparation of Ethylene Fluorescence Probes Based on Arylolefins and Grubbs Catalysts

[Image: see text] To detect the plant hormone ethylene, three arylolefins were employed to react with ethylene based on olefin metathesis. In this study, three fluorescence probes were successfully prepared using a first-generation Grubbs catalyst (G-1) and arylolefin with terminal vinyl groups. The probes were characterized using various techniques, including UV–vis, fluorescence, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and (31)P NMR spectroscopies and HRMS. The probes exhibited an emission maximum at 394 nm and showed excellent ethylene response. The detection limits for the probes were calculated to be 0.128, 0.074, and 0.188 μL/mL (3σ), respectively, based on fluorescence stimulation by ethylene gas. Additionally, the YGTZ-2 probe was used to detect ethylene gas during the storage process of tomatoes. This work expands the application of arylolefin in ethylene detection and provides a foundation for the development of economic, rapid, and convenient photosensitive sensors for ethylene in the future.