Construction of a Dual-Mode Biosensor with Ferrocene as Both a Signal Enhancer and a Signal Tracer for Electrochemiluminescent and Electrochemical Enantioselective Recognition

We demonstrate for the first time the construction of a dual-mode biosensor for electrochemiluminescent (ECL) and electrochemical chiral recognition of l- and d-isomers of amino acids, with ferrocene (Fc) as both a signal enhancer and a signal tracer. With the dissolved oxygen as a coreactant, ZnIn2S4 acts as the ECL emitter to generate a weak cathodic ECL signal. Fc can enter into the β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) cavity on ZnIn2S4-modified electrode as a result of host-guest interaction. Since Fc can promote H2O and O2 to produce abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g., O2·- and ·OH), the ECL signal of ZnIn2S4 can be further amplified with Fc as a coreaction accelerator. Meanwhile, Fc molecules on the β-CD/ZnIn2S4-modified electrode can be electrochemically oxidized to Fc+ to produce a remarkable oxidation peak current. When l-histidine (l-His) is present, the matching of the l-His configuration with the β-CD cavity leads to the entrance of more l-His into the cavity of β-CD than d-histidine (d-His), and the subsequent competence of l-His with Fc on the Fc/β-CD/ZnIn2S4-modified electrode induces the decrease in both Fc peak current and ZnIn2S4-induced ECL intensity. This dual-mode biosensor can efficiently discriminate l-His from d-His, and it can sensitively monitor l-His with a detection limit of 7.60 pM for ECL mode and 3.70 pM for electrochemical mode. Moreover, this dual-mode biosensor can selectively discriminate l-His from other l- and d-isomers (e.g., threonine, phenylalanine, and glutamic acid), with potential applications in the chiral recognition of nonelectroactive chiral compounds, bioanalysis, and disease diagnosis.

A New «off-on» Fluorescence Zinc Ion Sensors Based on Iodo- and Bromosubstituted Dipyrromethenes

Monoiodo- and dibromsubstituted dipyrromethenes HL¹ - HL³ were described as a highly sensitive and selective «Off-On» fluorescent chemosensor for Zn²⁺ based on the chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect. Сoordination reactions of HL¹ - HL³ with Zn²⁺ cations are accompanied by a significant (124 to 215-fold) increase in fluorescence intensity against the background of other metal ions in the binary propanol-1/cyclohexane mixture (1:30). The fluorometric detection limit of Zn²⁺ ions using HL¹ - HL³ sensors is from 3.0∙10^-8 to 3.3·10^-9 mol/L. The presence of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Pb²⁺ cations does not interfere with the detection of Zn²⁺. Complexation reactions are accompanied by a visual change in the color of the solution from yellow-orange to pink-raspberry so that the HL¹ - HL³ ligands can also be used as a «naked-eye» indicators of the presence of Zn²⁺ ions.