Specific fluorogenic probes for ozone in biological and atmospheric samples

Ozone exposure is a growing global health problem, especially in urban areas. While ozone in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet light, tropospheric or ground-level ozone is toxic and can damage the respiratory tract. It has recently been shown that ozone may be produced endogenously in inflammation and antibacterial responses of the immune system; however, these results have sparked controversy owing to the use of a non-specific colorimetric probe. Here we report the synthesis of fluorescent molecular probes able to unambiguously detect ozone in both biological and atmospheric samples. Unlike other ozone-detection methods, in which interference from different reactive oxygen species is often a problem, these probes are ozone specific. Such probes will prove useful for the study of ozone in environmental science and biology, and so possibly provide some insight into the role of ozone in cells.

Recent progress in fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensors for detection of precious metal ions (silver, gold and platinum ions)

Due to the wide range of applications and biological significance, the development of optical probes for silver, gold and platinum ions has been an active research area in the past few years. This tutorial review focuses on the recent contributions concerning the fluorescent or colorimetric sensors for these metal ions, and is organized according to their structural classifications (for Ag(+) detection) and unique mechanisms between the sensors and metal ions (for Au(3+) and Pt(2+) detection).

A two-component small molecule system for activity-based detection and signal amplification: application to the visual detection of threshold levels of Pd(II)

A detection and signal amplification strategy aimed toward threshold diagnostic assays for use in resource-limited settings is described. The strategy employs two small molecule reagents that work in tandem. One reagent detects a specific analyte, while the second amplifies a colorimetric readout autocatalytically. The strategy is demonstrated using palladium(II) as a model analyte.

Development and applications of fluorogenic probes for mercury(II) based on vinyl ether oxymercuration

Mercury is a major threat to the environment and to human health. It is highly desirable to develop a user-friendly kit for on-site mercury detection. Such a method must be able to detect mercury below the threshold levels for drinking water, 1-2 ppb. We developed a fluorescence method based on the oxymercuration of vinyl ethers to detect mercury in dental and environmental samples. Chloride ions interfered with the oxymercuration reaction, but the addition of AgNO(3) solved this problem. Fine electronic and structural tuning led to the development of a more responsive probe that was less sensitive to chloride ion interference. This second-generation probe could detect 1 ppb mercury ions in water.