A Reaction-Based Colorimetric Fluoride Probe: Rapid “Naked-Eye” Detection and Large Absorption Shift

Development of Improved Spectrophotometric Assays for Biocatalytic Silyl Ether Hydrolysis

Reported herein is the development of assays for the spectrophotometric quantification of biocatalytic silicon-oxygen bond hydrolysis. Central to these assays are a series of chromogenic substrates that release highly absorbing phenoxy anions upon cleavage of the sessile bond. These substrates were tested with silicatein, an enzyme from a marine sponge that is known to catalyse the hydrolysis and condensation of silyl ethers. It was found that, of the substrates tested, tert-butyldimethyl(2-methyl-4-nitrophenoxy)silane provided the best assay performance, as evidenced by the highest ratio of enzyme catalysed reaction rate compared with the background (uncatalysed) reaction. These substrates were also found to be suitable for detailed enzyme kinetics measurements, as demonstrated by their use to determine the Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters for silicatein.

DFT/TD-DFT study to decipher the fluoride induced ring opening process of spiropyran

DFT/TD-DFT methods were used to determine the fluoride anion sensing mechanism of 3',6'-Bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)spiro[benzo[f]chromene3,9'ffuorene], abbreviated as SP. The description of ring opening in the ground state of SP molecule and its isomerization in open form is presented. It was revealed from the study that in the ground state, SP is the most stable form in contrast with the isomer obtained in the open form. To initiate the ring opening, at first, the fluoride ion attacks as a nucleophile to de-silylate the SP molecule. This attack of fluoride ion may induce Cspiro-O bond cleavage leading to the formation of two anionic species, i.e., MC-D1 and MC-D2 respectively (MC is merocyanin). The mono-de-silylation process was endogenic, which was followed by the ring opening process. Furthermore, the orthogonal geometry of probe SP does not show ICT character, whereas, MC-D1 and MC-D2 displayed ICT character owing to the formation of planar geometry along with an increase in conjugation. The fluorescence property of SP, and most stable isomers of open form (CT, MC-D1, and MC-D2) were predicted theoretically. The calculated emission spectra uncovered that SP may show fluorescence, which could be quenched in presence of fluoride anion.

Multi-ion detection and molecular switching behaviour of reversible dual fluorescent sensor

The selective chemosensing behaviour of imidazole bisthiocarbohydrazone (IBTC) towards F^- and Cu²⁺ are studied via colorimetric, UV-Visible, fluorescence spectra studies, and binding constants were calculated. The ¹H NMR titration study strongly support that the deprotonation of IBTC followed by the hydrogen bond formation via N1H1 and N2H2 protons with fluoride ion. The fluorescence inactive IBTC-Cu complex became fluorescence active in the presence of perchlorate (ClO₄^-) ion. The selective detection of perchlorate ion was also explained. The F^- sensing mechanism of IBTC has been investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) methods. The theoretical outcomes well reproduce the experimental results. And it concluded the NH protons, nearby the imine group was first captured by the added F^- ion and then deprotonation happened followed by the formation of hydrogen bond. The IBTC found good reversibility character with the alternative addition of Ca²⁺ and F^-. The multi-ion detection of IBTC was used to construct the NOR, OR and INHIBITION molecular logic gates.

Positional isomeric chemosensors: fluorescent and colorimetric cyanide detection based on Si–O cleavage

Highly selective and sensitive fluorescent and colorimetric cis/trans isomers 3 were rationally designed and investigated for the fast detection and visualization of cyanide ions (TBACN and NaCN) via CN-promoted Si–O cleavage in aqueous solution and in the solid state.

Synthesis and evaluation of a boronate-tagged 1,8-naphthalimide probe for fluoride recognition

A biocompatible fluoride receptor has been developed where the interaction between the boronic acid ester and amine (NH) results in fluoride ion selectivity and enhanced fluorescence quenching.

Chromogenic and fluorescent 'turn-on' chemodosimeter for fluoride based on a F(-)-triggered cascade reaction

We developed a new chromogenic and fluorescent 'turn-on' chemodosimeter 1 based on a F(-)-triggered cascade reaction. This system displayed significant changes in UV/vis absorption and fluorescence emission intensities selectively for F(-) over other anions in a mixture of CH3CN/H2O(95 : 5, v/v) and in acetonitrile.

Highly selective colorimetric/fluorometric dual-channel fluoride ion probe, and its capability of differentiating cancer cells

A dual-channel naphthalimide-based chemosensor for rapid and sensitive detection of fluoride ion has been developed. Upon addition of F(-), it undergoes deprotonation reaction through H-bonding interactions, and its maximum absorption wavelength is red-shifted for 214 nm to the far-red region, together with drastically quenched fluorescence. In addition, it shows high selectivity toward F(-) anion, thus could be used for practical applications to detecting F(-) in both solution and solid state. Furthermore, the fluorescence of NIM could be enhanced in protein-containing acidic environments, hence NIM could act as lysosome marker to differentiate cancer cells from normal ones in cell imaging.

Sensing mechanism for a fluoride chemosensor: invalidity of excited-state proton transfer mechanism

Our density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent DFT calculations for the fluoride anion sensor, 5,7-dibromo-8-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-2-methylquinoline (DBM), suggested a different sensing mechanism from the experimentally proposed one (Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 7098). Instead of the formation of fluoride-hydrogen-bond complex (DBMOHF) and excited-state proton transfer mechanism, the theoretical results predicted a sensing mechanism based on desilylation reaction and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The fluoride anion reacted with DBM and formed an anion (DBMO), with the ICT causing a red shift in the absorbance and emission spectra of the latter. The calculated vertical excitation energies in the ground and first excited states of both DBM and DBMO, as well as the calculated (1)H NMR spectra, significantly reproduced the experimental measurements, providing additional proofs for our proposed sensing mechanism for DBM.