Highly sensitive and selective fluorescent chemosensors for Hg(II) in an aqueous environment based on carbamodithioate

Development of tissue paper-based chemosensor and demonstration for the selective detection of Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions

Heavy metals emanate from natural and man-made sources, such as agricultural chemicals including fertilisers and pesticides, medical waste, and chemicals released from industries. Detection and monitoring toxic metal ions is one of the challenges confronting scientists in biological, environmental, and chemical systems. This study describes the design and synthesis of a new imidazole-based fluorescent and colourimetric chemosensor (DPICDT) for highly selective sensing of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions in aqueous acetonitrile medium. The probe was synthesised by coupling benzil and substituted aldehyde using ethanolic ammonium acetate. The structure of DPICDT was confirmed via IR spectra, NMR, and HR-MS spectra. The DPICDT probe displayed a rapid naked-eye response towards Cu2+ ions from colourless to red-purple and significant fluorescence quenching response towards Hg2+ over other competitive metal ions in both solution and solid support. The binding modes of DPICDT with Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions were found to be at a 1 : 1 ratio as determined using Job plot, ESI HR-MS, and the sensing mechanism was evolved by 1H NMR titrations, HR-MS spectra, and DFT calculations. The lower detection limit was 15.1 nM for Cu2+, eventually far less than the World Health Organization guideline for drinking water (Cu2+ - 31.5 μM) and 1.17 μM for Hg2+ (permissible concentration 2 ppb). Promisingly, the tissue paper-based DPICDT test strips and silica-supported DPICDT were developed and demonstrated for on-site application without resorting to expensive instruments.

An ICT-based fluorescence enhancement probe for detection of Sn2+ in cancer cells

Development of a novel fluorescence enhancement probe for detection of Sn²⁺ in organisms, with high selectivity and sensitivity, is of great interest but remains a great challenge. Herein, an ICT-based fluorescence probe TPPB was rationally developed to act as an ‘enhancement’ luminescent and “naked-eye” indicator for Sn²⁺ detection. Importantly, spectroscopic studies indicated that TPPB was a fluorescence enhancement sensor for Sn²⁺ with rapid response, low detection limit (0.116 μM) and excellent binding constant (1.6 × 10⁴ M⁻¹). The mechanism of TPPB response to Sn²⁺ was further proved by ¹H NMR titration, and enhancement calculations. Furthermore, TPPB is applied as a fluorescence probe for imaging in Hela cells, indicated that it can be potentially applied for Sn²⁺ sensing in biological fields.

Development of a novel fluorescence enhancement probe for detection of Sn²⁺ in organisms, with high selectivity and sensitivity, is of great interest but remains a great challenge.

A novel benzothiadiazole-based and NIR-emissive fluorescent sensor for detection of Hg2+ and its application in living cell and zebrafish imaging

The probe TBBA exhibited excellent analytical properties with a remarkably large Stokes shift (195 nm), rapid response, high selectivity and sensitivity, good binding constant (2.37 × 10⁴ M⁻¹) and low LOD (13.10 nM).

Carbamodithioate-based dual functional fluorescent probe for Hg(2+) and S(2-)

Carbamodithioate-based compound T1 was designed and synthesized as a dual-functional probe for Hg(2+) ions and S(2-) anions. The underlying signaling mechanism was intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). It could serve as a direct probe towards Hg(2+) ions through "on-off" fluorescence changes and an indirect probe towards S(2-) anions through "on-off-on" fluorescence changes.

The photo- and electrophysical properties of curcumin in aqueous solution

An investigation of the photo- and electrophysical properties of curcumin (1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) revealed well-defined color changes upon the addition of Hg(2+) or OH(-). Curcumin exhibited high selectivity for Hg(2+) ions, as compared with Cu(2+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), Zn(2+), Na(+) and Ni(2+) ions in DMSO/H(2)O (5:1, v/v) which was attributed to the formation of a 4:1 Hg(2+)-curcumin coordination complex. Spectral responses at lambda(max)=434nm revealed that curcumin can function as a NOR logic gate with OH(-) and Hg(2+) as input variables. The electrochromic properties of curcumin were studied using an ITO/curcumin-Bu(4)NClO(4)/ITO cell. The electrochromic cell colored red at 3V, but changed to yellow in open-circuit condition.

A new approach to design ratiometric fluorescent probe for mercury(II) based on the Hg(2+)-promoted deprotection of thioacetals

On the basis of the protection reaction between ethanethiol and aldehyde, we designed and synthesized two new ratiometric fluorescent chemosensors, 3 and 4, by using intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) as a signaling mechanism. Upon the addition of Hg(2+) ion, both probes displayed apparent luminescence color changes, which could be observed by naked eyes under a UV lamp. Unexpectedly, both chemosensors also gave response to the addition of trace silver ions, making this kind of chemosensors as the first example of ratiometric fluorescent probe that showed dual channel fluorescence for both Hg(2+) and Ag(+). The test strips experiments suggested that 3 and 4 could serve as practical fluorescent probes for rapid detection of Hg(2+) ion.

Kinetically controlled photoinduced electron transfer switching in Cu(I)-responsive fluorescent probes

Copper(I)-responsive fluorescent probes based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) switching consistently display incomplete recovery of emission upon Cu(I) binding compared to the corresponding isolated fluorophores, raising the question of whether Cu(I) might engage in adverse quenching pathways. To address this question, we performed detailed photophysical studies on a series of Cu(I)-responsive fluorescent probes that are based on a 16-membered thiazacrown receptor ([16]aneNS(3)) tethered to 1,3,5-triarylpyrazoline-fluorophores. The fluorescence enhancement upon Cu(I) binding, which is mainly governed by changes in the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) driving force between the ligand and fluorophore, was systematically optimized by increasing the electron withdrawing character of the 1-aryl-ring, yielding a maximum 29-fold fluorescence enhancement upon saturation with Cu(I) in methanol and a greater than 500-fold enhancement upon protonation with trifluoroacetic acid. Time-resolved fluorescence decay data for the Cu(I)-saturated probe indicated the presence of three distinct emissive species in methanol. Contrary to the notion that Cu(I) might engage in reductive electron transfer quenching, femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe experiments provided no evidence for formation of a transient Cu(II) species upon photoexcitation. Variable temperature (1)H NMR experiments revealed a dynamic equilibrium between the tetradentate NS(3)-coordinated Cu(I) complex and a ternary complex involving coordination of a solvent molecule, an observation that was further supported by quantum chemical calculations. The combined photophysical, electrochemical, and solution chemistry experiments demonstrate that electron transfer from Cu(I) does not compete with radiative deactivation of the excited fluorophore, and, hence, that the Cu(I)-induced fluorescence switching is kinetically controlled.