Benzimidazole based ESIPT active chemosensors enable nano–molar detection of Cu2+ in 90% aqueous solution, MCF–7 cells, and plants

Detection of Arsenic(V) by Fluorescence Sensing Based on Chlorin e6-Copper Ion

The high toxicity of arsenic (As) can cause irreversible harm to the environment and human health. In this study, the chlorin e6 (Ce6), which emits fluorescence in the infrared region, was introduced as the luminescence center, and the addition of copper ion (Cu2+) and As(V) provoked a regular change in fluorescence at 652 nm, whereas that of As(III) was 665 nm, which was used to optionally detect Cu2+, arsenic (As(III), and As(V)). The limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.212 μM, 0.089 ppm, and 1.375 ppb for Cu2+, As(III), and As(V), respectively. The developed method can be used to determine Cu2+ and arsenic in water and soil with good sensitivity and selectivity. The 1:1 stoichiometry of Ce6 with Cu2+ was obtained from the Job plot that was developed from UV-visible spectra. The binding constants for Cu2+ and As(V) were established to be 1.248 × 105 M-1 and 2.35 × 1012 M-2, respectively, using B-H (Benesi-Hildebrand) plots. Fluorescence lifetimes, B-H plots, FT-IR, and 1H-NMR were used to postulate the mechanism of Cu2+ fluorescence quenching and As(V) fluorescence restoration and the interactions of the two ions with the Ce6 molecule.

Aggregation-induced Emission Active Naphthalimide Derived Schiff Base for Detecting Cu2+ and Its Applications

Herein, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active Schiff base (NHS) was synthesized by condensing naphthalimide hydrazide with salicylaldehyde. The non-fluorescent solution of NHS in DMSO turned to emissive NHS upon increasing the HEPES fraction in DMSO from 70 to 95%. The UV-Vis absorption and DLS studies supported the self-aggregation of NHS that restricted the intramolecular rotation and activated the ESIPT process. The blue fluorescence of AIE luminogen NHS in DMSO:HEPES (5:95, v/v, pH = 7.4) was examined by adding different metal ions (Al3+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Cr2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Hg2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+). NHS showed a selective fluorescence switch-off response for Cu2+ due to the chelation enhancement quenching effect (CHEQ). The quenching of NHS by Cu2+ was explored by using density functional theory (DFT) and Stern-Volmer plot. The practical utility of NHS was examined by quantitative and qualitative analysis of Cu2+ in real water samples.

ESIPT-based probes for cations, anions and neutral species: recent progress, multidisciplinary applications and future perspectives

Fluorescent and colourimetric probes for small analytes (cations, anions and neutral molecules) have drawn significant attention in recent years. These probes interact with analytes and induce spectral change due to the variations in the photo-physical properties of the fluorophore/chromophore used. Among several photo-physical mechanisms, ESIPT (excited state intramolecular proton transfer) based probes are more advantageous due to their photo-physical properties viz. solvent polarity effect, large spectral shift with multi-channel fluorescence, high quantum yield etc. In recent years, ESIPT-based probes have shown several promising applications, especially monitoring small analytes in biological samples, smartphone app-assisted heavy metal detection in environmental samples, inkless writing, anti-counterfeiting applications etc. Therefore, this review is dedicated to recently reported ESIPT-based probes for small analytes. We have highlighted the organic units responsible for the ESIPT mechanism, their photo-physical parameters, selectivity and sensitivity properties and recent advances in their applications.

Complexes on the Base of a Proton Transfer Capable Pyrimidine Derivative: How Protonation and Deprotonation Switch Emission Mechanisms

A rare example of pyrimidine-based ESIPT-capable compounds, 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methylpyrimidine (HLH), was synthesized (ESIPT─excited state intramolecular proton transfer). Its reactions with zinc(II) salts under basic or acidic conditions afforded a dinuclear [Zn2LH2Cl2] complex and an ionic (H2LH)4[ZnCl4]2·3H2O solid. Another ionic solid, (H2LH)Br, was obtained from the solution of HLH acidified with HBr. In both ionic solids, the H+ ion protonates the same pyrimidinic N atom that accepts the O-H···N intramolecular hydrogen bond in the structure of free HLH, which breaks this hydrogen bond and switches off ESIPT in these compounds. This series of compounds which includes neutral HLH molecules and ionic (LH)- and (H2LH)+ species allowed us to elucidate the impact of protonation and coordination coupled deprotonation of HLH on the photoluminescence response and on altering the emission mechanism. The neutral HLH compound exhibits yellow emission as a result of the coexistence of two radiative decay channels: (i) T1 → S0 phosphorescence of the enol form and (ii) anti-Kasha S2 → S0 fluorescence of the keto form, which if feasible due to the large S2-S1 energy gap. However, owing to the efficient nonradiative decay through an energetically favorable conical intersection, the photoluminescence quantum yield of HLH is low. Protonation or deprotonation of the HLH ligand results in the significant blue-shift of the emission bands by more than 100 nm and boosts the quantum efficiency up to ca. 20% in the case of [Zn2LH2Cl2] and (H2LH)4[ZnCl4]2·3H2O. Despite both (H2LH)4[ZnCl4]2·3H2O and (H2LH)Br have the same (H2LH)+ cation in the structures, their emission properties differ significantly, whereas (H2LH)Br shows dual emission associated with two radiative decay channels: (i) S1 → S0 fluorescence and (ii) T1 → S0 phosphorescence, (H2LH)4[ZnCl4]2·3H2O exhibits only fluorescence. This difference in the emission properties can be associated with the external heavy atom effect in (H2LH)Br, which leads to faster intersystem crossing in this compound. Finally, a huge increase in the intensity of the phosphorescence of (H2LH)Br on cooling leads to pronounced luminescence thermochromism (violet emission at 300 K, sky-blue emission at 77 K).

Investigation of Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer and Structural Dynamics in Bis-Benzimidazole Derivative (BBM)

The bis-benzimidazole derivative (BBM) molecule, consisting of two 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl) benzimidazole (HBI) halves, has been synthesized and successfully utilized as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for the sensitive detection of Cu²⁺ based on enol-keto excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). In this study, we strategically implement femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy and several time-resolved electronic spectroscopies, aided by quantum chemical calculations to investigate the detailed primary photodynamics of the BBM molecule. The results demonstrate that the ESIPT from BBM-enol* to BBM-keto* was observed in only one of the HBI halves with a time constant of 300 fs; after that, the rotation of the dihedral angle between the two HBI halves generated a planarized BBM-keto* isomer in 3 ps, leading to a dynamic redshift of BBM-keto* emission.

AIE+ESIPT Active Hydroxybenzothiazole for Intracellular Detection of Cu2+: Anticancer and Anticounterfeiting Applications

Here, in the present work, a new hydroxybenzothiazole derivative (HBT 2) with AIE+ESIPT features was synthesized by Suzuki-Miyora coupling of HBT 1 with 4-formylphenylboronic acid. The AIE and ESIPT features were confirmed by optical, microscopic (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The yellow fluorescent aggregates of HBT 2 can specifically detect Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ ions with limits of detection as low as 250 nM and 69 nM. The Job's plot revealed the formation of a 1:1 complex. The Cu²⁺ complexation was further confirmed by optical, NMR, AFM and DLS techniques. HBT 2 was also used for the detection of Cu²⁺ ions in real water samples collected from different regions of Punjab. HBT 2 was successfully used for the bio-imaging of Cu²⁺ ions in live A549 and its anticancer activity was checked on different cancer cell lines, such as MG63, and HeLa, and normal cell lines such as L929. We successfully utilized HBT 2 to develop security labels for anticounterfeiting applications.

Tuning ESIPT-coupled luminescence by expanding π-conjugation of a proton acceptor moiety in ESIPT-capable zinc(II) complexes with 1-hydroxy-1H-imidazole-based ligands

The emission of ESIPT-fluorophores is known to be sensitive to various external and internal stimuli and can be fine-tuned through substitution in the proton-donating and proton-accepting groups. The incorporation of metal ions in the molecules of ESIPT fluorophores without their deprotonation is an emerging area of research in coordination chemistry which provides chemists with a new factor affecting the ESIPT reaction and ESIPT-coupled luminescence. In this paper we present 1-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-(pyridin-2-yl)-2-(quinolin-2-yl)-1H-imidazole (HLq) as a new ESIPT-capable ligand. Due to the spatial separation of metal binding and ESIPT sites this ligand can coordinate metal ions without being deprotonated. The reactions of ZnHal₂ with HLq afford ESIPT-capable [Zn(HLq)Hal2] (Hal = Cl, Br, I) complexes. In the solid state HLq and [Zn(HLq)Hal2] luminesce in the orange region (λ_max = 600-650 nm). The coordination of HLq by Zn²⁺ ions leads to the increase in the photoluminescence quantum yield due to the chelation-enhanced fluorescence effect. The ESIPT process is barrierless in the S₁ state, leading to the only possible fluorescence channel in the tautomeric form (T), S₁^T → S₀^T. The emission of [Zn(HLq)Hal2] in the solid state is blue-shifted as compared with HLq due to the stabilization of the ground state and destabilization of the excited state. In CH₂Cl₂ solutions, the compounds demonstrate dual emission in the UV (λ_max = 358 nm) and green (λ_max = 530 nm) regions. This dual emission is associated with two radiative deactivation channels in the normal (N) and tautomeric (T) forms, S₁^N → S₀^N and S₁^T → S₀^T, originating from two minima on the excited state potential energy surfaces. High energy barriers for the GSIPT process allow the trapping of molecules in the minimum of the tautomeric form, S₀^T, resulting in the possibility of the S₀^T → S₁^T photoexcitation and extraordinarily small Stokes shifts in the solid state. Finally, the π-system of quinolin-2-yl group facilitates the delocalization of the positive charge in the proton-accepting part of the molecule and promotes the ESIPT reaction.

Benzimidazole–acid hydrazide Schiff–Mannich combo ligands enable nano–molar detection of Zn2+ via fluorescence turn–on mode from semi–aqueous medium, HuH–7 cells, and plants

Herein, we have synthesized two unsymmetrical and dipodal Schiff–Mannich combo ligands, benzoic acid (3–benzoimidazol–1–ylmethyl–2–hydroxy–5–methyl–benzylidene)–hydrazide (H2BBH) and the hydroxyl analogue, 2–hydroxy–benzoic acid (3–benzoimidazol–1–ylmethyl–2–hydroxy–5–methyl–benzylidene)–hydrazide (H3BSH) for selective detection of Zn2+ in semi–aqueous...