Preparation and spectral characterization of fluorescence probes based on 4-N,N-dimethylamino benzoic acid and sterically hindered amines

Development of tissue paper-based chemosensor and demonstration for the selective detection of Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions

Heavy metals emanate from natural and man-made sources, such as agricultural chemicals including fertilisers and pesticides, medical waste, and chemicals released from industries. Detection and monitoring toxic metal ions is one of the challenges confronting scientists in biological, environmental, and chemical systems. This study describes the design and synthesis of a new imidazole-based fluorescent and colourimetric chemosensor (DPICDT) for highly selective sensing of Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions in aqueous acetonitrile medium. The probe was synthesised by coupling benzil and substituted aldehyde using ethanolic ammonium acetate. The structure of DPICDT was confirmed via IR spectra, NMR, and HR-MS spectra. The DPICDT probe displayed a rapid naked-eye response towards Cu2+ ions from colourless to red-purple and significant fluorescence quenching response towards Hg2+ over other competitive metal ions in both solution and solid support. The binding modes of DPICDT with Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions were found to be at a 1 : 1 ratio as determined using Job plot, ESI HR-MS, and the sensing mechanism was evolved by 1H NMR titrations, HR-MS spectra, and DFT calculations. The lower detection limit was 15.1 nM for Cu2+, eventually far less than the World Health Organization guideline for drinking water (Cu2+ - 31.5 μM) and 1.17 μM for Hg2+ (permissible concentration 2 ppb). Promisingly, the tissue paper-based DPICDT test strips and silica-supported DPICDT were developed and demonstrated for on-site application without resorting to expensive instruments.

Spectral properties of ionic benzotristhiazole based donor-acceptor NLO-phores in polymer matrices and their one- and two-photon cellular imaging ability

A series of ionic benzotristhiazolium (BTT) push-pull chromophores, with different nitrogen donor groups and different lengths of conjugated bridges, was successfully doped in polar polymer matrices (PVC and PSS). The spectral (photophysical) properties of their low concentration thin polymeric films are compared with those in solution and are discussed in terms of matrix polarity/viscosity influence, specific polymer-chromophore interaction, structure-spectral property relationship and Twisted Intramolecular Charge-Transfer (TICT) state formation. The elimination of a non-emissive phantom and TICT state formation by restricted intramolecular rotations in the polymer matrix or viscous solvent results in a relatively high Φ_F of all the investigated NLO-phores; particularly for near-infrared NIR molecular rotors bearing diphenylamino and julolidine donor groups. Because of cationic characteristics, small molecular weight, calculated high second hyperpolarizability and significant emission efficiency dependence on surroundings' viscosity (rigidochromic effect), two dyes were chosen as candidates for potential fluorescent probes for one-photon (1P) and two photon (2P) cellular imaging. The selected BTT NLO-phore with a julolidine donor is promising as a mitochondria-specific fluorescent small molecular probe for live cell super-resolution imaging with low cytotoxicity and good photostability, and is also potentially suitable for super-resolution STED imaging.

The synthesis of sterically hindered amines by a direct reductive amination of ketones

An atom-economical methodology for the synthesis of sterically hindered tertiary amines was developed, which is based on a complementary Rh- and Ru-catalyzed direct reductive amination of ketones with primary and secondary amines using carbon monoxide as a deoxygenating agent.

New developments in spin labels for pulsed dipolar EPR

Spin labelling is a chemical technique that enables the integration of a molecule containing an unpaired electron into another framework for study. Given the need to understand the structure, dynamics, and conformational changes of biomacromolecules, spin labelling provides a relatively non-intrusive technique and has certain advantages over X-ray crystallography; which requires high quality crystals. The technique relies on the design of binding probes that target a functional group, for example, the thiol group of a cysteine residue within a protein. The unpaired electron is typically supplied through a nitroxide radical and sterically shielded to preserve stability. Pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques allow small magnetic couplings to be measured (e.g., <50 MHz) providing information on single label probes or the dipolar coupling between multiple labels. In particular, distances between spin labels pairs can be derived which has led to many protein/enzymes and nucleotides being studied. Here, we summarise recent examples of spin labels used for pulse EPR that serve to illustrate the contribution of chemistry to advancing discoveries in this field.