Quick and effective detection of biothiols in biological fluids has gained increasing attention due to its vital biological functions. In this paper, a novel reversible fluorescence chemosensor (L-Cu 2+ ) based on a benzocoumarin-Cu 2+ ensemble has been developed for the detection of biothiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) in human urine. The chemosensing ensemble (L-Cu 2+ ) contains a 2:1 stoichiometry structure between fluorescent ligand L and paramagnetic Cu 2+ . L was found to exclusively bond with Cu 2+ ions accompanied with a dramatic fluorescence quenching maximum at 443 nm and an increase of an absorbance band centered at 378 nm. Then, the in situ generated fluorescence sluggish ensemble, L-Cu 2+ , was successfully used as a chemosensor for the detection of biothiols with a fluorescence "OFF-ON" response modality. Upon the addition of biothiols, the decomplexation of L-Cu 2+ led to the liberation of the fluorescent ligand, L, resulting in the recovery of fluorescence and absorbance spectra. Studies revealed that L-Cu 2+ possesses simple synthesis, excellent stability, high sensitivity, reliability at a broad pH range and desired renewability (at least 5 times). The practical application of L-Cu 2+ was then demonstrated by the detection of biothiols in human urine sample. developing safe, highly specific and sensitive detection methods for biothiols in living systems is strongly desired in biochemistry and biomedicine research fields [14].Among various conventional methods such as electrochemical approaches [15,16], high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [17,18], gas chromatography [19,20] and mass spectrometry (MS) [21], fluorescence analysis using a responsive molecular probe or chemosensor has been recognized as one of the most promising approaches due to its excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and capability of detecting analytes in live biological specimens [22][23][24][25][26]. To date, a large number of fluorescence chemosensors aiming to distinguish biothiols from other amino acids and bioactive species have been developed based on several sensing mechanisms: (1) Michael addition [27-29]; (2) cyclization with aldehyde [30,31]; (3) the cleavage of sulfonamide, sulfonate esters, selenium-nitrogen bonds and disulfide bonds [32][33][34][35][36][37][38]; (4) intramolecular elimination [39,40]. However, most organic reaction-based fluorescence chemodosimeters suffer several problems such as time-consuming synthesis and the synthesis procedure commonly requires strict reaction condition, which somehow limit the practical application in biosystems [41]. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, few of them could achieve analyzing biothiols in body fluids, such as human urine [42,43].Recently, indicator displacement-based fluorescence chemosensor, as a new strategy, has emerged for the detection of certain biomolecules in living systems. Among them, a Cu 2+ -ensemble based fluorescence chemosensor features simple synthetic route, improved water solubility, a fluorescence "OFF-ON" response pattern as well as desi...