Colorimetric sensing for translational applications: from colorants to mechanisms

Colorimetric sensing offers instant reporting via visible signals. Versus labor-intensive and instrument-dependent detection methods, colorimetric sensors present advantages including short acquisition time, high throughput screening, low cost, portability, and a user-friendly approach. These advantages have driven substantial growth in colorimetric sensors, particularly in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Rapid progress in nanotechnology, materials science, microfluidics technology, biomarker discovery, digital technology, and signal pattern analysis has led to a variety of colorimetric reagents and detection mechanisms, which are fundamental to advance colorimetric sensing applications. This review first summarizes the basic components (e.g., color reagents, recognition interactions, and sampling procedures) in the design of a colorimetric sensing system. It then presents the rationale design and typical examples of POC devices, e.g., lateral flow devices, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices, and wearable sensing devices. Two highlighted colorimetric formats are discussed: combinational and activatable systems based on the sensor-array and lock-and-key mechanisms, respectively. Case discussions in colorimetric assays are organized by the analyte identities. Finally, the review presents challenges and perspectives for the design and development of colorimetric detection schemes as well as applications. The goal of this review is to provide a foundational resource for developing colorimetric systems and underscoring the colorants and mechanisms that facilitate the continuing evolution of POC sensors.

A fluorescent nanoprobe based on cellulose nanocrystals with porphyrin pendants for selective quantitative trace detection of Hg2+

A well-dispersed chemosensor based on cellulose nanocrystals with porphyrin pendants presented high sensitivity and selectivity for trace Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution.

Development of Ion Chemosensors Based on Porphyrin Analogues

Sensing of metal ions and anions is of great importance because of their widespread distribution in environmental systems and biological processes. Colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensors based on organic molecular species have been demonstrated to be effective for the detection of various ions and possess the significant advantages of low cost, high sensitivity, and convenient implementation. Of the available classes of organic molecules, porphyrin analogues possess inherently many advantageous features, making them suitable for the design of ion chemosensors, with the targeted sensing behavior achieved and easily modulated based on their following characteristics: (1) NH moieties properly disposed for binding of anions through cooperative hydrogen-bonding interactions; (2) multiple pyrrolic N atoms or other heteroatoms for selectively chelating metal ions; (3) variability of macrocycle size and peripheral substitution for modulation of ion selectivity and sensitivity; and (4) tunable near-infrared emission and good biocompatibility. In this Review, design strategies, sensing mechanisms, and sensing performance of ion chemosensors based on porphyrin analogues are described by use of extensive examples. Ion chemosensors based on normal porphyrins and linear oligopyrroles are also briefly described. This Review provides valuable information for researchers of related areas and thus may inspire the development of more practical and effective approaches for designing high-performance ion chemosensors based on porphyrin analogues and other relevant compounds.

Binding of calixarene-based Langmuir monolayers to mercury chloride is dependent on the amphiphile structure

Langmuir monolayers of the tetra and two regioselective diamino-substituted amphiphilic calix[4]arenes show different recognition properties towards HgCl₂ at the air–water interface, despite the macrocycles have highly similar structures.

A novel dual-functional fluorescent chemosensor for the selective detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and Hg2+

A dual-functional fluorescent chemosensor for selectively detecting 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and Hg²⁺ was developed by immobilizing the rhodamine derivative onto Tb-BTC via gold.

Self-assembly and optical properties of a porphyrin-based amphiphile

A porphyrin-based amphiphile that exhibits various self-assembled nanostructures in different solvents has been successfully prepared. The effect of aggregated structure on optical properties of this amphiphile has been well investigated. Furthermore, this porphyrin-based amphiphile and its assemblies show dynamic/reversible variations in morphology and optical properties in response to light.

Porphyrin-based sensor nanoarchitectonics in diverse physical detection modes

Porphyrins and related families of molecules are important organic modules as has been reflected in the award of the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry in 1915, 1930, 1961, 1962, 1965, and 1988 for work on porphyrin-related biological functionalities. The porphyrin core can be synthetically modified by introduction of various functional groups and other elements, allowing creation of numerous types of porphyrin derivatives. This feature makes porphyrins extremely useful molecules especially in combination with their other interesting photonic, electronic and magnetic properties, which in turn is reflected in their diverse signal input-output functionalities based on interactions with other molecules and external stimuli. Therefore, porphyrins and related macrocycles play a preeminent role in sensing applications involving chromophores. In this review, we discuss recent developments in porphyrin-based sensing applications in conjunction with the new advanced concept of nanoarchitectonics, which creates functional nanostructures based on a profound understanding of mutual interactions between the individual nanostructures and their arbitrary arrangements. Following a brief explanation of the basics of porphyrin chemistry and physics, recent examples in the corresponding fields are discussed according to a classification based on physical modes of detection including optical detection (absorption/photoluminescence spectroscopy and energy and electron transfer processes), other spectral modes (circular dichroism, plasmon and nuclear magnetic resonance), electronic and electrochemical modes, and other sensing modes.

Rhodamine B immobilized on hollow Au-HMS material for naked-eye detection of Hg2+ in aqueous media

A simple, effective method has been demonstrated to immobilize Rhodamine B (RhB) probes on mesoporous silica (Au-HMS). The prepared chemosensor (Au-HMS-Probe) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectrum and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Further application of Au-HMS-Probe in sensing Hg(2+) was confirmed by fluorescence titration experiment. Au-HMS-Probe afforded "turn-on" fluorescence enhancement and displayed high brightness in water, and it also showed excellent selectivity for Hg(2+) over alkali (Na(+), K(+)), alkaline earth (Mg(2+), Ca(2+)) and other heavy metal ions (Ag(+), Cd(2+), Co(2+), Pb(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(2+)). Importantly, Au-HMS-Probe could be regenerated by treatment with tetrapropylammonium hydroxide solution.