Application of anionic micelle for dramatic enhancement in the quenching-based metal ion fluorosensing

Application of Drug Aggregation to Solubilize Antimicrobial Compound and Enhancing its Bioavailability

With the progress and advancement in discovery of novel antimicrobial drugs, efficient solubility plays an important component for a drug to express its out-turn effectively. A biocompatible neutral/non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 (Tx-100), was successfully employed to solubilize an antibiotic drug, sulfamethazine (SMZ), through micellization process. The association process of Tx-100 toward SMZ was confirmed through the characteristic spectral change in absorption and emission spectroscopy. The morphological behavior of the complex was studied from small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Changes in size(s) and charge(s) of the micelles were monitored using zeta (z) potential technique. This present study emphasized the molecular mechanism and characteristics of Tx-100 as an effective drug solubilizing and carrier agent. Thus, the drug-loaded micellar system can enhance cellular uptake and increase the antibacterial effects of drugs in the biological system(s). Schematic illustration of drug-surfactant micelle formation and target release of drug at the targeted site.

A Selective Turn off Fluorescence Sensor Based on Propranolol-SDS Assemblies for Fe3+ Detection

A fluorophore modulation with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) assemblies for the selective and sensitive sensing of Fe³⁺ ions in aqueous solution is illustrated in this work. Emission spectral characteristics of fluorescent molecule, propranolol (PPH) was intact in presence of metal ions. While on modulation with SDS assemblies, PPH was transformed into a tuneable sensor for Fe³⁺ ions. This sensor ensemble was not only highly sensitive towards Fe³⁺ ions in aqueous solution with detection limits lower than 3 μM but also possess high discriminating efficiency in presence of other metal ions like Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe²⁺, Cd²⁺, Co²⁺, Al³⁺, Mg²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Mn²⁺. The electrostatic interaction of the anionic group of surfactants with the metal cations significantly increases the communication between metal ions and PPH moiety which results in the quenching of PPH fluorescence. We have employed fluorescence steady state and lifetime studies to understand the metal sensing behaviour of the PPH-SDS sensor system. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the developed sensor system towards Fe³⁺ ions.

Medium dependent dual turn on/turn off fluorescence sensing for Cu2+ ions using AMI/SDS assemblies

Behavior of Amiloride (AMI) as a metal ion sensor in anionic surfactant assemblies of varying concentrations at different pH is depicted in this work. From a non-sensor fluorophore, AMI has been transformed in to a tunable fluorosensor for Cu²⁺ ions in various SDS concentrations. At premicellar concentration of SDS, ion-pair complex is expected to be formed between AMI and SDS due to electrostatic interactions between them. However at CMC concentrations of SDS, fluorescence intensity of AMI is greatly enhanced with red shift in emission, due to the incorporation of AMI molecule in the hydrophobic micellar interface. The behavior of metal sensing by AMI-SDS assemblies gives rise to several interesting observations. Micellation of SDS has been greatly enhanced by increasing copper ion concentrations, as these counter ions screens the charge on monomers of SDS which lead to the aggregation at premicellar concentrations only. Concentrations and pH dependent discrete trends of interactions between SDS-AMI and SDS-Cu²⁺ ions, have given tunable fluorescence responses (fluorescence turn on/turn off) of AMI for added Cu²⁺ ions. The electrostatic interaction between the metal cations and the anionic surfactants is the driving force for bringing the metal ions near to the vicinity of micelle where AMI resides. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism related to the 'turn on-turn off' fluorescence response of AMI with respect to pH and SDS concentration for effective Cu²⁺ ion sensing is illustrated in this work.

Multielemental composition of suet oil based on quantification by ultrawave/ICP-MS coupled with chemometric analysis

Suet oil (SO) has been used commonly for food and medicine preparation. The determination of its elemental composition has became an important challenge for human safety and health owing to its possible contents of heavy metals or other elements. In this study, ultrawave single reaction chamber microwave digestion (Ultrawave) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis was performed to determine 14 elements (Pb, As, Hg, Cd, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ti, Ni, V, Sr, Na, Ka and Ca) in SO samples. Furthermore, the multielemental content of 18 SO samples, which represented three different sources in China: Qinghai, Anhui and Jiangsu, were evaluated and compared. The optimal ultrawave digestion conditions, namely, the optimal time (35 min), temperature (210 °C) and pressure (90 bar), were screened by Box-Behnken design (BBD). Eighteen samples were successfully classified into three groups by principal component analysis (PCA) according to the contents of 14 elements. The results showed that all SO samples were rich in elements, but with significant differences corresponding to different origins. The outliers and majority of SO could be discriminated by PCA according to the multielemental content profile. The results highlighted that the element distribution was associated with the origins of SO samples. The proposed ultrawave digestion system was quite efficient and convenient, which could be mainly attributed to its high pressure and special high-throughput for the sample digestion procedure. Our established method could be useful for the quality control and standardization of elements in SO samples and products.

Blue-emitting self-assembled polymer electrolytes for fast, sensitive, label-free detection of Cu(II) ions in aqueous media

We have developed a light-emitting material based on nonconjugated block copolymers that contain polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) chains. The confinement of the PSS chains within nanosized domains appeared to be a powerful means of achieving enhanced fluorescence signals. High fluorescence quantum yield, with a maximum value of 37%, was obtained by adjusting the types of self-assembled morphologies of PSS-containing block copolymers; in contrast, the fluorescence quantum yield was merely 5% for the PSS homopolymer lacking organization. The wavelength of fluorescence emission was tunable by rational molecular design. In addition, significant self-quenching behavior was not noticed in diverse forms of this material such as solutions, thin films, and free-standing membranes. Notably, the light-emitting self-assembled block copolymer electrolytes exhibited high sensitivity toward Cu(2+) ions, with a detection limit of parts per billion levels, rapid response time of ≤1 min, and insignificant interference of other competitive metal ions.

Hydrogen bonding interpolymer complex formation and study of its host-guest interaction with cyclodextrin and its application as an active delivery vehicle

Interpolymer complex formation through hydrogen bonding has been investigated between two polymers: poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The differential properties of the interpolymer complex with varying molecular weights of PVA have been studied by taking three different molecular weights of PVA. Furthermore, the host-guest interaction between the interpolymer complexes prepared and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) has also been studied in detail. PAAm can form interpolymer complexes with PVA because of a cooperative hydrogen bonding interaction. The addition of β-CD to a dilute aqueous solution of PAAm-PVA results in a competition between interpolymer hydrogen bonding and host-guest interactions. In this article, we have tried to decipher the complex chemistry that occurs in the microheterogeneous solution. The PAAm-PVA binary system and the PAAm-PVA-β-CD ternary systems have been well characterized by using a fluorescent probe, coumarin-102. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), fluorescence microscopy, and time-resolved fluorescence studies have been performed to substantiate steady-state fluorescence experiments. The results indicate the occurrence of a competitive interaction between the hydrogen bonding of the interpolymer complexes and the host-guest interaction with β-CD, whereby the later predominates. It is probable that the hydrophobic cavity of β-CD is threaded with linear polymers, thus forming a macromolecular supraassembly. It has also been concluded that PAAm preferentially interacts with β-CD by compromising its interaction with PVA. The enhanced deposition and retention of actives with this system was studied with a single species regrowth assay, antibacterial efficacy and the cell viability were studied using the live-dead staining protocol. This therefore opens new avenues in the targeted delivery of actives.

A newly developed highly selective ratiometric fluoride ion sensor: spectroscopic, NMR and density functional studies

A new easy-to-synthesize chemosensor, 3,3'-bis(indolyl)-4-chlorophenylmethane (hereafter S), was designed, synthesized and employed as a selective optical chemosensor for fluoride ions.(1)H NMR and density functional studies on the system have been carried out to determine the nature of the interaction between S and X(-) (X = inorganic anions) responsible for the significant fluoride-induced changes in the absorption properties of S. The experimental results reveal that abstraction of an acidic proton of S by the fluoride ion, leading to the formation of anionic species, is responsible for the spectral changes. These changes allow signaling for the fluoride ion to detect and estimate the concentration of fluoride ion present even at the submicromolar level, accurate up to 2 μM. Calculations of the transition energies of S, S(-), and S···F(-) (hydrogen bonded complex) show that only S(-) is responsible for the long-wavelength absorption band in the presence of F(-).

Interaction of a new surface sensitive probe compound with anionic surfactants of varying hydrophobic chain length

The amide derivative of a bis-phenylethynyl compound meta linked to 2,6-pyridine (BPEAP) poses inherent equilibrium between its neutral and zwitterionic forms in the excited state. BPEAP has been found to bind to the surface of anionic micelles instead of penetrating inside. This phenomenon has been exploited to attempt controlling the process of equilibrium using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at its pre-micellar and near-micellar aggregation concentrations. The anionic surfactant has been found to alter the equilibrium between the said forms of BPEAP depending on its concentration in solution. The process has been further verified by using sodium decyl sulfate (SDeS), which has smaller hydrophobic chain length than SDS as also varies in the critical micellar concentration (CMC) and aggregation number. The binding constant of the probe to the surfactant aggregates varies depending on the extent of surface available to the fluorophore for attachment.

Effect of electrolytes, nucleotides and DNA on the fluorescence of flavopereirine natural alkaloid

The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of flavopereirine, a pharmaceutically important natural alkaloid, were studied to reveal how the complex formation and the change of the microenvironment affect the deactivation kinetics from the singlet-excited state. The fluorescence lifetime was not influenced by the ionic strength, but a significant deuterium effect was observed showing that hydrogen bonding in the singlet-excited state promoted energy dissipation. Nucleotides caused both static and dynamic quenching. The rate constant of the latter process increased when the nucleobase was capable of donating electron to the excited flavopereirine. The spectrophotometric measurements provided evidence for non-cooperative binding to double-stranded DNA with an equilibrium constant of 4.6 × 10(5) M(-1). Time-resolved fluorescence signals showed that three kinds of complexes are formed with distinct fluorescence lifetimes. Flavopereirine binding to chondroitin sulfate was also found, which led to different fluorescence characteristics at pH 2 and 6.

Fluorimetric detection of boron by azomethine-H in micellar solution and sol-gel

Mixtures of boron and azomethine-H in solution result in slow complexation. Addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether (Brij-35), 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol (TritonX-100), and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) result in considerable decrease in complexation time and enhancement in signal of peak in solution and also sol-gel. The fluorescence of the complex is monitored at an emission wavelength of 486 nm with excitation at 416 nm. The presence of 1x10(-3) mol L(-1) SDS decreased the complexation time up to 10 min in solution and 20 min in sol-gel for above 0.25 microg B mL(-1) and 30 min in solution and 35 min in sol-gel for below 0.25 microg B mL(-1). However, the photostability did not change by adding micelle in both media. The proposed method shows a linear response toward boron in the concentration range of 0.05-10 microg mL(-1) and is selective for boron over a large number of electrolytes and cations. The detection limit was 7 microg L(-1). This method has been used for the detection of boron in environmental water samples and fruit juices with satisfactory results.