Naked eye sensing of toxic metal ions in aqueous medium using thiophene-based ligands and its application in living cells

Speciation of inorganic arsenic by μ-thin-layer chromatography coupled with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based on an ion imprinted polymer

An efficient strategy utilizing μ-thin layer chromatography coupled with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (μ-TLC-LA-ICP-MS) based on an IIP (ion imprinted polymer) was developed for the speciation of inorganic arsenic [As(III) and As(V)]. The characterization of the fabricated IIP was performed applying Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). To prepare the thin layer chromatography plate, CaSO4 (as a binder) was incorporated with the IIP. Then, the surface of the TLC plate was swept by LA, which volatilized the species of arsenic from the thin layer chromatography plate which thereafter were introduced into the ICP-MS system. Various effective parameters on isolation efficiency, such as the IIP/CaSO4 mass ratio, mobile phase composition, and pH, were examined. Under optimized conditions, the developed method demonstrated a detection limit of 0.3 μg L-1 with a wide linear dynamic range of 0.2-100 μg L-1, and a relative standard deviation of 3.8. The performance of the developed method was investigated for the isolation of As(III) and As(V) in wastewater (Mouteh, Aghdareh, and Zarmehr mines) and human blood plasma real samples.

Thiophene-Appended Benzothiazole Compounds for Ratiometric Detection of Copper and Cadmium Ions with Comparative Density Functional Theory Studies and Their Application in Real-Time Samples

A thirst for the development of a simple fluorescence probe for enhanced sensing application has been achieved by synthesizing a stupendous thiophene-appended benzothiazole-conjugated compound L2. The synthesized compound L2 was characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry techniques. Furthermore, a photophysical property of L1 and L2 reveals the enhanced emission spectrum of L2 because of a restricted spin-orbital coupling as a result of increased conjugation compared to the ligand L1. Therefore, comparative studies were undertaken for L1 and L2. Henceforth, L2 was deployed for the ratiometric detection of Cd²⁺ ions in THF:water and L1 for the detection of Cu²⁺ ions in THF medium. The chemosensor L2 shows an outstanding water tolerance up to 60% and is stable between pH 2 and 7. This level of water tolerance and stability make L2 a suitable probe for analyzing real-time and biological samples. While the cadmium ion was added to L2, there was a significant red shift in emission from 496 to 549 nm, which indicates the controlled ICT due to complex formation. The metal-ligand complexation was also confirmed by noticing a decreased band gap of metal complex compared to the ligand as calculated using Tauc's plot with solid-phase UV data. The stoichiometric ratio was obtained by Job's plot that exhibited a 1:1 ratio of L2 and Cd²⁺ ions, and the limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 2.25 nM by the photoluminescence spectroscopic technique. The fluorescence lifetime of both L2 and L2-Cd²⁺ was found to be 58.3 ps and 0.147 ns, respectively. Alongside, the colorimetric-assisted ratiometric detection of Cu²⁺ by L1 with 1:2 stoichiometric ratio having an LOD of 1.06 × 10^-7 M was also performed. Furthermore, the practical applicability of the probe L2 in sensing cadmium was tested in sewage water and vegetable extract; the recovery was approximately 98 and 99%, respectively. The experimental data were supported by theoretical investigation of structures of L1, L2, L1-Cu²⁺ , and L2-Cd²⁺ , complex formation, charge transfer mechanism, and band gap measurements done by quantum chemical density functional theory calculations.

Visual detection of different metal ions based on the tug of war between triangular Au nanoparticles and metal ions against mercaptans

Herein, a new colorimetric sensor array was developed for the first time, which can rapidly recognize 9 types of metal ions (e.g., Ni2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Cr3+, Fe2+, Se2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+). The colorimetric characteristics of the sensor array were closely related to the oxidation etching of the triangular gold nanoplates (AuNPLs) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the design, two types of thiols (glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys)) as recognition elements were employed to construct the sensor units (AuNPLs/GSH and AuNPLs/Cys) and adjust the etching degrees of AuNPLs in the presence of various metal ions. The differential binding affinities between metal ions and thiols will lead to different degrees of oxidation etching of AuNPLs with hydrogen peroxide, exhibiting characteristic colors, which can be visually distinguished by the naked eye. Thus, the colorimetric sensor array provides a new way for the discrimination of various metal ions, thereby simplifying the water quality analysis.

New Sensitive and Selective Chemical Sensors for Ni2+ and Cu2+ Ions: Insights into the Sensing Mechanism through DFT Methods

We report the synthesis and theoretical study of two new colorimetric chemosensors with special selectivity and sensitivity to Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions over other metal cations in the CH₃CN/H₂O solution. Compounds (E)-4-((2-nitrophenyl)diazenyl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)aniline (A) and (E)-4-((3-nitrophenyl)diazenyl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)aniline (B) exhibited a drastic color change from yellow to colorless, which allows the detection of the mentioned metal cations through different techniques. The interaction of sensors with these metal ions induced a new absorption band with a hypsochromic shift to the characteristic signal of the free sensors. A theoretical study via time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) was performed. This method has enabled us to reproduce the hypsochromic shift in the maximum UV-vis absorption band and explain the selective sensing of the ions. For all of the systems studied, the absorption band is characterized by a π → π* transition centered in the ligand. Instead of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions, the transition is set toward the σ* molecular orbital with a strong contribution of the 3d_x²-_y² transition (π → 3d_x²-_y²). These absorptions imply a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism that results in the hypsochromic shift in the absorption band of these systems.

A natural cyanobacterial protein C-phycoerythrin as an Hg2+ selective fluorescent probe in aqueous systems

C-phycoerythrin (CPE) as a natural protein-based fluorescence ‘turn off’ probe for Hg²⁺ in aqueous systems.

Luminescence sensing, DFT, extraction and monitoring of Cr3+ and Al3+via the application of first derivative fluorescence spectroscopy

Turn-on recognition of an anthracene-based Schiff base followed by the use of a sensitive technique for metal estimation without prior separation.

A smart chemosensor: Discriminative multidetection and various logic operations in aqueous solution at biological pH

A novel rhodamine-pyrazole based molecular probe was designed and easily synthesized. The probe could to detect several analytes in aqueous solution at biological pH (HEPES, pH = 7.2). Several heavy metal cations, including Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Hg²⁺ and Ni²⁺ were detected discriminately by the probe. Also, the novel compound exhibited a good sensory selectivity towards S₂O₅^2- by both absorption and emission spectra. Moreover, probe/Cu²⁺ complex could to detect several anions, including F^-, CN^-, S^2-, CH₃COO^-, CO₃^2- and NO₂^-. Furthermore, the probe exhibited a high potential to work as a molecular system able to perform a number of logical operations such as AND, NAND, NOR and INHIBIT logic gates.

A chemosensoring molecular lab for various analytes and its ability to execute a molecular logical digital comparator

We reported here the unique ability of a Rhodamine 6G-based probe (3) to detect discriminately several targets, including H⁺, HO^-, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Sn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Al³⁺, Pb²⁺, Ce³⁺and Ag⁺, by unambiguously colorimetric and fluorimetric outcomes. In aqueous solutions, the presence of proton induced the ring-opening of rhodamine moiety but the presence of hydroxide induced the conversion of 2-hydroxyphenyl hydrazone moiety from the non-fluorescent benzenoid form into the fluorescent quinoid form. The probe could to distinguish between different cations in DMF and to work like an artificial tongue at molecular level. Several logic gates including OR, INHIBIT and TRANSFER, were performed by the probe. Moreover, the probe is able to execute three INHIBIT logic gates by two inputs, which was exploited to execute a digital molecular comparator.

Fluorescent electronic tongue based on soluble conjugated polymeric nanoparticles for the discrimination of heavy metal ions in aqueous solution

A fluorescence sensing array (or fluorescent electronic tongue) based on six sorts of soluble conjugated polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs) decorated with PEG chains is designed for the rapid identification of heavy metal ions in water.

Novel thiophene-based colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on sensor for highly sensitive and selective simultaneous detection of Al3+ and Zn2+ in water and food samples and its application in bioimaging

A novel bifunctional thiophene-based Schiff base TS as a colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on sensor for rapid and simultaneous detection of Al³⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions with high selectivity and sensitivity has been developed. The sensor shows remarkable fluorescence enhancement response for Al³⁺ and Zn²⁺ over a broad pH range with good anti-interference capability, which accompanied with an obvious color change easily detected by naked eyes. Sensor TS can detect as low as 3.7 × 10^-9 M for Al³⁺ and 3.0 × 10^-8 M for Zn²⁺, whereas respective association constants are 1.16 × 10⁴ M^-1 and 2.08 × 10⁴ M^-1. With the help of fluorescence titration and Job's plot, the stoichiometric ratio of TS with Al³⁺/Zn²⁺ was determined to be 1:1. The sensing mechanism of sensor TS with Al³⁺/Zn²⁺ based on the chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) was analyzed in detail through ¹H NMR titration, FTIR, HRMS and DFT studies. Moreover, sensor TS has been applied to the detection of Al³⁺ and Zn²⁺ in real environmental water and food samples as well as the filter paper-based test strips. Furthermore, sensor TS has good cell-permeability and can be used to selectively sense intracellular Al³⁺ and Zn²⁺ by bioimaging.

Remarkable colorimetric sensing behavior of pyrazole-based chemosensor towards Cu(ii) ion detection: synthesis, characterization and theoretical investigations

We report the synthesis of a new imine based ligand, 3-((3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)-1H-pyrazol-5-ol (HL) and its Cu(ii) complexes in 2 : 1 (HL : metal) and 1 : 1 : 1 (HL : metal : HQ) stoichiometric ratio using 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) as an additional bidentate ligand. The synthesized ligand (HL) and its Cu(ii) complexes (1 and 2) are structurally characterized using FT-IR, electronic absorption and emission, NMR and MS techniques. Furthermore, the complexation of Cu2+ with HL leads to the immediate formation of brown colour solution which indicates that HL can act as simple colorimetric sensor for Cu2+ ions. We further investigated that the sensor could selectively bind to the Cu2+ ions even in the presence of competitive ions such as Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Ag+ and Na+ ions in aqueous solutions which was studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. The HL ligand has been investigated for its reactive properties by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Quantum molecular descriptors describing local reactive properties have been calculated in order to identify the most reactive molecule sites of title compounds. DFT calculations encompassed molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), local average ionization energies (ALIE), Fukui functions and bond dissociation energies for hydrogen abstraction (H-BDE).

Colorimetric Sensor Array for Discrimination of Heavy Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution Based on Three Kinds of Thiols as Receptors

In the present work, we report a novel colorimetric sensor array for rapid identification of heavy metal ions. The sensing mechanism is based on the competition between thiols and urease for binding with the metal ions. Due to the different metal ion-binding abilities between the thiols and urea, different percentages of urease are free of metal ions and become catalytically active in the presence of varied metal ions. The metal ion-free urease catalyzes the decomposition of urea releasing ammonia and changing the pH of the analyte solution. Bromothymol blue, the pH indicator, changes its color in response to the metal-caused pH change. Three different thiols (l-glutathione reduced, l-cysteine, and 2-mercaptoethanol) were used in our sensor array, leading to a unique colormetric repsonse pattern for each metal. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was employed to analyze the patterns and generate a clustering map for identifying 11 species of metal ions (Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, Fe³⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Sn⁴⁺, Co²⁺, and Pb²⁺) at 10 nM level in real samples. The method realizes the simple, fast (within 30 s), sensitive, and visual discrimination of metal ions, showing the potential applications in environmental monitoring.

Rhodamine–benzothiazole conjugate as an efficient multimodal sensor for Hg2+ ions and its application to imaging in living cells

A rhodamine B dye bearing a benzothiazole conjugate is designed and synthesized, it shows a highly selective and sensitive naked-eye color change and turn-on fluorescence response to Hg²⁺ ions.

Functionalized Ionic Microgel Sensor Array for Colorimetric Detection and Discrimination of Metal Ions

A functional ionic microgel sensor array was developed by using 1-(2-pyridinylazo)-2-naphthaleno (PAN)- and bromothymol blue (BTB)-functionalized ionic microgels, which were designed and synthesized by quaternization reaction and anion-exchange reaction, respectively. The PAN microgels (PAN-MG) and BTB microgels (BTB-MG) were spherical in shape with a narrow size distribution and exhibited characteristic colors in aqueous solution in the presence of various trace-metal ions, which could be visually distinguished by the naked eye. Such microgels could be used for the colorimetric detection of various metal ions in aqueous solution at submicromolar levels, which were lower than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard for the safety limit of metal ions in drinking water. A total of 10 species of metal ions in aqueous solution, Ba²⁺, Cr³⁺, Mn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Al³⁺, were successfully discriminated by the as-constructed microgel sensor array combined with discriminant analysis, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, and leave-one-out cross-validation analysis.

Multi-signaling thiocarbohydrazide based colorimetric sensors for the selective recognition of heavy metal ions in an aqueous medium

A series of colorimetric chemosensors R1-R6 have been developed from thiocarbohydrazide derivatives, for the selective detection of heavy metal ions. The structures of the receptors R1-R6 were well characterized by standard spectroscopic techniques like FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ESI-MS. The solid structure of receptor R1 and R2 were derived by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD). The cation reorganization abilities of receptors R1-R6 were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The receptors R1, R3 and R4 acts as a tremendous sensitive probe for heavy metal ions (Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺) with the μM detection (R1 for Hg²⁺, 2.72, R3 for Cd²⁺, 3.22, R4 for Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺ & Pb²⁺, 0.70, 0.20 & 0.30μM) and the receptors R2, R5 &R6 are sensitive towards Cu²⁺ ions with the μM detection (3.34, 0.90 & 1.20μM) in an aqueous medium among all other tested cations. The receptor R4 shows a multi-color response towards Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions. The recognition mechanism, stoichiometric binding ratio and detection limit (DL) have been examined by UV-Visible spectroscopic titration experiments and Benesi-Hildebrand (B-H) plot, receptor R1-R6 sowed 1:1 binding ratio with good binding constant range of 10³ to 10⁵M^-1 with Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions metal ions.

Optical sensor: a promising strategy for environmental and biomedical monitoring of ionic species

In this review, we cover the recent developments in fluorogenic and chromogenic sensors for Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺, Zn²⁺and Hg²⁺.

A highly fluorescent zinc complex of a dipodal N-acyl hydrazone as a selective sensor for H2PO4− ions and application in living cells

A dipodal N-acyl hydrazone receptor (R1) was synthesized in a single step, and utilized as a test probe for the selective sensing of metal ions as well as anions.

Colorimetric sensor array based on gold nanoparticles and amino acids for identification of toxic metal ions in water

A facile colorimetric sensor array for detection of multiple toxic heavy metal ions (Hg(2+), Cd(2+), Fe(3+), Pb(2+), Al(3+), Cu(2+), and Cr(3+)) in water is demonstrated using 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA)-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and five amino acids (lysine, cysteine, histidine, tyrosine, and arginine). The presence of amino acids (which have functional groups that can form complexes with metal ions and MUA) regulates the aggregation of MUA-capped particles; it can either enhance or diminish the particle aggregation. The combinatorial colorimetric response of all channels of the sensor array (i.e., color change in each of AuNP and amino acid couples) enables naked-eye discrimination of all of the metal ions tested in this study with excellent selectivity.