An effective optical chemosensor film for selective detection of mercury ions

A novel organic chromo-fluorogenic optical sensor for detecting chromium ions

Sensing trivalent chromium ion (Cr(III)) is widely applied in different areas, such as clinical analysis, marine, environmental monitoring, or even chemical industry applications. Cr(III) has a significant role in the physiological process of human life. It is classified as an essential micronutrient for living organisms. Herein, we developed and designed a novel optical Cr(III) ions sensor film. The investigated sensor has a relatively small dynamic range of 1.24 × 10-3 to 0.5 μM. We report a highly sensitive optical sensor film for Cr(III) ions based on diethyl 3,4-diaminothieno[2,3-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (3D) probe. The optical characteristics of the chemical probe exhibit substantial emission at 460 nm under 354 nm excitation. Besides, the interaction of the Cr(III) ions with 3D involves a complex formation with a 2:1 (metal: ligand) ratio, which is convoyed by the main peak enhancement that centered at 460 nm of 3D, and the main peak is red-shifted to 480 nm. The easily discernible fluorescence enhancement effect is a defining characteristic of the complexation reaction between the 3D probe and Cr(III). On the basis of the substantial fluorescence mechanism caused by the formation of a (Cr(III)-3D complex, which inhibits the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process, the devised optical sensor was proposed. This film exhibits exceptional sensitivity and selectivity due to its notable fluorescence properties, stock shift of less than 106 nm, and detection capabilities at a significantly low detection limit of 0.37 × 10-3 μM. The detection procedure is executed by utilizing a physiological pH medium (pH = 7.4) with a relative standard deviation RSDr (1 %, n = 3). In addition, the 3D sensor demonstrates a high degree of affinity for Cr(III), as determined by the calculation of its binding constant to be 1.40 × 106. We present an impressive optical sensor that is constructed upon a three-dimensional molecule.

A sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for visual and wearable mercury (II) recognition in river prawn and water samples

A novel ratiometric fluorescent probe p-RPT was prepared with triphenylamine and a rhodamine derivative. The probe displays high sensitivity and selectivity for Hg²⁺, which was applied in real water sample detection and biologic cell imaging. Hydrogel-coated paper sensors were fabricated with p-RPT, which displayed fluorescent colour change upon Hg²⁺ ion contact with a detection limit of 1.2 × 10^-8 M (∼10 ppb). In addition, flexible fluorescent p-RPT gloves were developed for visible and wearable Hg²⁺ detection and applied to detect mercury (II) in river prawn samples. In summary, the p-RPT probe not only shows great potential in mercury (II) detection for food and water, but also provides a new perspective for wearable sensing apparatus.

A Reversible Optical Sensor Film for Mercury Ions Discrimination Based on Isoxazolidine Derivative and Exhibiting pH Sensing

We developed a new optical sensor for tracing Hg(II) ions. The detection affinity examines within a concentration range of 0-4.0 µM Hg(II). The sensor film is based on Methyl 2-hydroxy-3-(((2S,2'R,3a'S,5R)-2-isopropyl-5,5'-dimethyl-4'-oxotetrahydro-2'H-spiro[cy-clohexane-1,6'-im-idazo[1,5-b]isoxazol]-2'-yl)methyl)-5-methylbenzoate (IXZD). The novel synthesized compound could be utilized as an optical turn-on chemosensor for pH. The emission intensity is highly enhanced for the deprotonated form concerning the protonated form. IXZD probe has a characteristic fluorescence peak at 481 nm under excitation of 351 nm with large Stocks shift of approximately 130 nm. In addition, the binding process of IXZD:Hg(II) presents a 1:1 molar ratio which is proved by the large quench of the 481 nm emission peak of IXZD and the growth of a new emission peak at 399 nm (blue shift). The binding configurations with one Hg(II) cation and its electronic characteristics were investigated by applying the Density Functional Theory (DFT) and the time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations. Density functional theory (DFT) and the time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) theoretical results were provided to examine Hg(II)-IXZD structures and their electronic properties in solution. The developed chemical sensor was offered based on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The sensor film has a significantly low limit of detection (LOD) for Hg(II) of 0.025 μM in pH 7.4, with a relative standard deviation RSD_r (1%, n = 3). Lastly, the IXZD shows effective binding affinity to mercury ions, and the binding constant K_b was estimated to be 5.80 × 10⁵ M^-1. Hence, this developed optical sensor film has a significant efficiency for tracing mercury ions based on IXZD molecule-doped sensor film.

Microwave-Assisted Rapid Synthesis of Luminescent Tryptophan-Stabilized Silver Nanoclusters for Ultra-Sensitive Detection of Fe(III), and Their Application in a Test Strip

A new preparation method for extreme fluorescent green emission tryptophan-stabilized silver nanoclusters (Tryp-AgNCs) is presented in this scientific research. The produced silver nanoclusters are dependent on tryptophan amino acid which contributes to normal growth in infants and the sublimation and recovery of human protein, muscles, and enzymes. Herein, we have introduced a green method by using microwave-assisted rapid synthesis. The subsequent silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have excitation/emission peaks at 408/498 nm and display a considerable selectivity to Fe(III) ions. The tryptophan amino acid molecule was used in the synthesis process as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The Tryp-AgNCs' properties were investigated in terms of morphology, dispersity, and modification of the synthesized particles using different advanced instruments. The luminescent nanoclusters traced the Fe(III) ions by the luminescence-quenching mechanism of the Tryp-AgNCs luminescence. Therefore, the extreme selectivity of the prepared nanoclusters was exhibited to the Fe(III) ions, permitting the sensitive tracing of ferric ions in the lab and in the real environmental samples. The limit of detection for Fe(III) ions based on Tryp-AgNCs was calculated to be 16.99 nM. The Tryp-AgNCs can be efficiently applied to a paper test strip method. The synthesized nanoclusters were used efficiently to detect the Fe(III) ions in the environmental samples. Moreover, we examined the reactivity of Tryp-AgNCs on various human tumor cell lines. The results show that the Tryp-AgNCs exhibited their activity versus the cancer cells in a dose-dependent routine for the perceived performance versus the greatest-used cancer cell lines.

Fluorescence Based Comparative Sensing Behavior of the Nano-Composites of SiO2 and TiO2 towards Toxic Hg2+ Ions

We have synthesized sulfonamide based nano-composites of SiO2 and TiO2 for selective and sensitive determination of toxic metal ion Hg2+ in aqueous medium. Nano-composites (11) and (12) were morphologically characterized with FT-IR, solid state NMR, UV-vis, FE SEM, TEM, EDX, BET, pXRD and elemental analysis. The comparative sensing behavior, pH effect and sensor concentrations were carried out with fluorescence signaling on spectrofluorometer and nano-composites (11) and (12), both were evaluated as "turn-on" fluorescence detector for the toxic Hg2+ ions. The LODs were calculated to be 41.2 and 18.8 nM, respectively of nano-composites (11) and (12). The detection limit of TiO2 based nano-composites was found comparatively lower than the SiO2 based nano-composites.

Recent Advances on the Development of Chemosensors for the Detection of Mercury Toxicity: A Review

The harmful impact of mercury on biological systems is of great concern. Regardless of the efforts made by the regulating agencies, a decrease in Hg2+ concentration has not been realized, and hence mercury accumulation in the environment remains of utmost concern. Designing novel and efficient probes for recognition and detection of toxic metals in environmental samples has been of primary importance. Among the available techniques, probe designs involving the study of spectral properties has been preferred because of its obvious ease of instrumentation. Furthermore, occurrence of significant changes in the visible portion of electronic spectra enables detection by the naked eye, thereby endorsing the preference for development of probes with off-on binary responses to aid in the in-field sample analysis. The prominence is further streamlined to the use of fluorescence to help characterize on-response the cellular detection of Hg2+ with ease. In order to overcome the problem of developing efficient probes or sensors bearing fluorescence on-response mechanism that can work effectively in physiological conditions, various methodologies, such as chemo-dosimetric reaction mechanisms for the designing of new luminescent ligands, are being adopted. Additionally, modified charge transfer processes are also being considered for optical detection of the mercury (II) ion. In this review, all such possible techniques have been discussed in detail.