A 19F NMR probe for the detection of β-galactosidase: simple structure with low molecular weight of 274.2, "turn-on" signal without the background, and good performance applicable in cancer cell line.

Based on the efficient cleavage reaction of the C-O ether bond triggered by β-gal selectively, FB-βGal, with good water-solubility, low toxicity, high specificity, excellent water-solubility and high biocompatibility, was prepared, which could report the presence of trace β-gal quickly and conveniently by a significant change in the 19F NMR spectra without any background noise. The successful application of FB-βGal for the detection of β-gal in living Escherichia coli, HeLa cells and OVCAR-3 cells quantitatively makes it a promising candidate for practical application in related fields.