Spectroscopic analysis of ligand binding to lanthanide-macrocycle platforms

Ratiometric fluorescent and electrochemiluminescent dual modal assay for detection of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid as an anthrax biomarker

2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA) is an excellent biomarker of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis). The sensitive detection of DPA, especially through visual point-of-care testing, was significant for accurate and rapid diagnosis of anthrax to timely prevent anthrax disease or biological terrorist attack. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent (R-FL) and electrochemiluminescent (ECL) dual-mode detection platform with a lanthanide ion-based metal-organic framework (Ln-MOF, i.e., M/Y-X: M = Eu, Y = Tb, and X = 4,4',4″-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-m-aminobenzoic acid) was developed. Eu/Tb-TATAB nanoparticles were constructed to identify DPA. The R-FL detection platform quantitatively detected DPA by monitoring the I545/I617 ratio of the characteristic fluorescence peak intensities of Tb3+ ions and Eu3+ ions. The ECL sensing platform successfully quantified DPA by exploiting the burst effect of DPA on the ECL signal. The above methods had highly sensitive and rapid detection of DPA in water and serum samples. The results showed that this dual-mode detection platform may be projected to be a powerful instrument for preventing related biological warfare and bio-terrorism.

Detection of aqueous and gaseous hydrogen sulfide with lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes

Two novel, discrete lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes for the detection of hydrogen sulfide are reported. The hydrogen sulfide sensing mechanism utilises the copper sequestration at a secondary binding site, with resulting bimetallic lanthanide(III)/copper(II) complexes (Ln = Eu3+ and Tb3+) exhibiting high selectivity, good sensitivity and excellent reversibility for aqueous hydrogen sulfide. The inclusion of the DO2A macrocycle and 4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole dipicolinic acid ligand, results in a complex with good solubility and stability. The europium(III) complex also displayed a low limit of detection (665 ppb) with a response time of 30 seconds with gaseous hydrogen sulfide. The improved water solubility and stability over a previous complex results in these sensors having the potential for use in environmental monitoring and biological studies for various functional settings.

Rational Polyelectrolyte Design Enables Multifunctional Polyion Complex Vesicles

Polyion complex (PIC) vesicles prepared by polyelectrolyte assembly have attracted extensive attention as distinctive carriers and nanoreactors, particularly for biological cargoes. However, the constrained regulation of their structure and functionality at this stage hinder the application of PIC vesicles. Herein, we design a new asymmetric assembly system, namely cationic-neutral-cationic triblock copolymer co-assembly with a supramolecular ionic coordination polymer. The former creates poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) loops upon complexation, which are favorable for vesicle fabrication, while the coordination polyelectrolyte composed of metal ions and a dipicolinic acid (DPA)-based bis-ligand features well-defined functionalities depending on the incorporated metal ions. Thus, the rational combination allows controlled fabrication of PIC vesicles with a modulated structure and functionalities. Moreover, the encapsulation and release of hydrophilic dextran based on different PIC vesicles has been realized. Our design integrates the advantages of both triblock and coordination polymers, and therefore demonstrates a novel strategy for harmonious regulation of the structure and functionality of PIC vesicles. The revealed findings and achieved properties shall be inspirational for developing functional PIC vesicles and boosting their applications towards demand encapsulation and delivery.

Rare-Earth Eu3+/Gold Nanocluster Ensemble-Based Fluorescent Photoinduced Electron Transfer Sensor for Biomarker Dipicolinic Acid Detection

The use of metal ions to bridge the fluorescent materials to target analytes has been demonstrated to be a promising way to sensor design. Herein, the effect of rare-earth ions on the fluorescence of l-methionine-stabilized gold nanoclusters (Met-AuNCs) was investigated. It was found that europium (Eu³⁺) can significantly suppress the emission of Met-AuNCs, while other rare-earth ions showed a negligible impact. The mechanism on the observed fluorescence quenching of Met-AuNCs triggered by Eu³⁺ was systematically explored, with results revealing the dominant role of photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Eu³⁺ can bind to the surface of Met-AuNCs by the coordination effect and accepts the electron from the excited Met-AuNCs, which results in Met-AuNC fluorescence suppression. After introducing dipicolinic acid (DPA), an excellent biomarker for spore-forming pathogens, Eu³⁺ was removed from the surface of Met-AuNCs owing to the higher binding affinity between Eu³⁺ and DPA. Consequently, an immediate fluorescence recovery occurred when DPA was present in the system. Based on the Met-AuNC/Eu³⁺ ensemble, we then established a simple and sensitive fluorescence strategy for turn-on determination of biomarker DPA, with a linear range of 0.2-4 μM and a low limit of detection of 110 nM. The feasibility of the proposed method was further validated by the quantitative detection of DPA in the soil samples. We believe that this study would significantly facilitate the construction of metal-ion-mediated PET sensors for the measurement of various interested analytes by applying fluorescent AuNCs as detection probes.

Ratiometric fluorescence detection of dipicolinic acid based on Microporous Ln/melamine-terephthaladehyde schiff base networks complex

Lanthanide-based fluorescence sensor in the detection of major Anthrax biomarker dipicolinic acid (DPA) is attracting wide attention. In this work, we proposed a new strategy for ratiometric fluorescence detection of DPA based on microporous Ln/melamine-terephthaladehyde Schiff base networks (Ln/MTSNW) complex for the first time. The microporous MTSNW was prepared by amine-aldehyde condensation between melamine and terephthaladehyde and presented lamellar and octahedral structure. Lanthanide ions, Eu³⁺ or Tb³⁺ were coordinated with N atoms of MTSNW to form Ln/MTSNW complex. The microporous Ln/MTSNW complex not only provided large surface area to improve the sensitivity of DPA detection, but also constructed ratiometric fluorescence sensors to eliminate environmental effects and instrument fluctuation. DPA was a highly efficient antenna molecule for Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ and transferred the energy to Eu³⁺ or Tb³⁺ to sensitize their fluorescence. The Ln/MTSNW complex were uniformly and stably dispersed in aqueous solution for DPA detection with a linear range from 15 nM to 7 μM and low detection limit of 5.2 nM for Eu/MTSNW and a linear range from 4 nM to 2.5 μM and low detection limit of 1.4 nM for Tb/MTSNW. Due to the simple preparation of Ln/MTSNW complex and low technical requirement, the ratiometric fluorescence DPA sensor based on Ln/MTSNW complex might show great potential in practical applications.

The time-resolved fluorescence study of kinetics and thermodynamics of Eu(iii) and Tb(iii) complexes with the DO2A macrocyclic ligand

The thermodynamics and kinetics of formation/dissociation of Eu(iii) and Tb(iii) with the H₂DO2A macrocyclic ligand were studied by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.

Fluorescent detection of dipicolinic acid as a biomarker of bacterial spores using lanthanide-chelated gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) functionalized with ethylenediamine-lanthanide complexes (Eu-GNPs and Tb-GNPs) were used for the selective fluorescent detection of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a unique biomarker of bacterial spores, in water. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and zeta potential measurements. The coordination of DPA to the lanthanides resulted in the enhancement of the fluorescence. A selective response to DPA was observed over the nonselective binding of aromatic ligands. The ligand displacement strategy were also employed for the ratiometric fluorescent detection of DPA. 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)-1,3-butanedion (TFNB) was chosen as an antenna to synthesize ternary complexes. The addition of DPA on EuGNP:TFNB ternary complex quenched the initial emission of the complex at 615nm and increased the TFNB emission at 450nm when excited at 350nm. The results demonstrated that the ratiometric fluorescent detection of DPA was achieved by ligand displacement strategy.

(2-Aminopyrimidine-κN(1))aqua(pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylato-κ(3)O(2),N,O(6))copper(II): X-ray and DFT calculated structure

In the title compound, [Cu(C7H3N2O4)(C4H5N2)(H2O)], (I), pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate (pydc(2-)), 2-aminopyrimidine and aqua ligands coordinate the Cu(II) centre through two N atoms, two carboxylate O atoms and one water O atom, respectively, to give a nominally distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry, a common arrangement for copper complexes containing the pydc(2-) ligand. Because of the presence of Cu...Xbridged contacts (X = N or O) between adjacent molecules in the crystal structures of (I) and three analogous previously reported compounds, and the corresponding uncertainty about the effective coordination number of the Cu(II) centre, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to elucidate the degree of covalency in these contacts. The calculated Wiberg and Mayer bond-order indices reveal that the Cu...O contact can be considered as a coordination bond, whereas the amine group forming a Cu...N contact is not an effective participant in the coordination environment.

A graphene quantum dots based fluorescent sensor for anthrax biomarker detection and its size dependence

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with two different diameters were modified via hybridization with a EuIII–macromolecule complex, and their application as dual emission fluorescent sensors for detection of Bacillus anthracis spores was investigated.

Enhancement of anion binding in lanthanide optical sensors

In the design of molecular sensors, researchers exploit binding interactions that are usually defined in terms of topology and charge complementarity. The formation of complementary arrays of highly cooperative, noncovalent bonding networks facilitates protein-ligand binding, leading to motifs such as the "lock-and-key". Synthetic molecular sensors often employ metal complexes as key design elements as a way to construct a binding site with the desired shape and charge to achieve target selectivity. In transition metal complexes, coordination number, structure and ligand dynamics are governed primarily by a combination of inner-sphere covalent and outer-sphere noncovalent interactions. These interactions provide a rich variable space that researchers can use to tune structure, stability, and dynamics. In contrast, lanthanide(III)-ligand complex formation and ligand-exchange dynamics are dominated by reversible electrostatic and steric interactions, because the unfilled f shell is shielded by the larger, filled d shell. Luminescent lanthanides such as terbium, europium, dysprosium, and samarium display many photophysical properties that make them excellent candidates for molecular sensor applications. Complexes of lanthanide ions act as receptors that exhibit a detectable change in metal-based luminescence upon binding of an anion. In our work on sensors for detection of dipicolinate, the unique biomarker of bacterial spores, we discovered that the incorporation of an ancillary ligand (AL) can enhance binding constants of target anions to lanthanide ions by as much as two orders of magnitude. In this Account, we show that selected ALs in lanthanide/anion systems greatly improve sensor performance for medical, planetary science, and biodefense applications. We suggest that the observed anion binding enhancement could result from an AL-induced increase in positive charge at the lanthanide ion binding site. This effect depends on lanthanide polarizability, which can be established from the ionization energy of Ln(3+) → Ln(4+). These results account for the order Tb(3+) > Dy(3+) > Eu(3+) ≈ Sm(3+). As with many lanthanide properties, ranging from hydration enthalpy to vaporization energy, this AL-induced enhancement shows a large discrepancy between Tb(3+) and Eu(3+) despite their similarity in size, a phenomenon known as the "gadolinium break". This discrepancy, based on the unusual stabilities of the Eu(2+) and Tb(4+) oxidation states, results from the half-shell effect, as both of these ions have half-filled 4f-shells. The high polarizability of Tb(3+) explains the extraordinarily large increase in the binding affinity of anions for terbium compared to other lanthanides. We recommend that researchers consider this AL-induced enhancement when designing lanthanide-macrocycle optical sensors. Ancillary ligands also can reduce the impact of interfering species such as phosphate commonly found in environmental and physiological samples.

Screen-printed fluorescent sensors for rapid and sensitive anthrax biomarker detection

Since the 2001 anthrax attacks, efforts have focused on the development of an anthrax detector with rapid response and high selectivity and sensitivity. Here, we demonstrate a fluorescence sensor for detecting anthrax biomarker with high sensitivity and selectivity using a screen-printing method. A lanthanide-ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid complex was printed on a flexible polyethersulfone film. Screen-printing deposition of fluorescent detecting moieties produced fluorescent patterns that acted as a visual alarm against anthrax.

Luminescent sensor for carbonate ion based on lanthanide(III) complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A)

Lanthanide(III) complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (H(3)DO3A) are suggested as sensors for sensitive luminescence-based determination of a carbonate anion. Thermodynamic study of association of [Eu(H(2)O)(2)(DO3A)] with bidentate anionic ligands using luminescence spectroscopy reveals an affinity order CO(3)(2-) > oxalate(2-) > picolinate(-) > phthalate(2-) ≈ citrate(3-); presumably as a consequence of an increasing chelate ring size. The ternary [Eu(DO3A)(picolinate)](-) and [Tb(DO3A)(picolinate)](-) complexes show improved photophysical properties due to the antenna effect of the picolinate anion. High quenching effect of carbonate anion and, to a lesser extent also oxalate, enables construction of a linear calibration plot utilizing optimized experimental conditions (e.g. c(LnL) = 0.1 mM, c(picolinate) = 2-5 mM, pH = 7.4, λ(exc) = 286 nm, etc.) for carbonate determination in solution. Both sensors show a comparable sensitivity and the detection limit of about 0.4 mM. In order to improve the photophysical properties of Ln(III) sensor by shift of excitation wavelength about 40 nm to VIS range, the isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (IQCA) as antenna ligand was employed instead of picolinic acid. The analysis of commercial samples of European mineral waters was carried out and they were compared to the results obtained by capillary isotachophoresis to confirm there is no inherent (systematic) error to the present analysis. The Ln(III) sensor with IQCA is recommended since it has a better robustness than that with picolinate. The present analytical method is simple and rapid, and it is useful for sensitive determination of bicarbonate/carbonate concentration in water samples under aerobic conditions.

A supramolecular sensing platform for phosphate anions and an anthrax biomarker in a microfluidic device

A supramolecular platform based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been implemented in a microfluidic device. The system has been applied for the sensing of two different analyte types: biologically relevant phosphate anions and aromatic carboxylic acids, which are important for anthrax detection. A Eu(III)-EDTA complex was bound to β-cyclodextrin monolayers via orthogonal supramolecular host-guest interactions. The self-assembly of the Eu(III)-EDTA conjugate and naphthalene β-diketone as an antenna resulted in the formation of a highly luminescent lanthanide complex on the microchannel surface. Detection of different phosphate anions and aromatic carboxylic acids was demonstrated by monitoring the decrease in red emission following displacement of the antenna by the analyte. Among these analytes, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and pyrophosphate, as well as dipicolinic acid (DPA) which is a biomarker for anthrax, showed a strong response. Parallel fabrication of five sensing SAMs in a single multichannel chip was performed, as a first demonstration of phosphate and carboxylic acid screening in a multiplexed format that allows a general detection platform for both analyte systems in a single test run with μM and nM detection sensitivity for ATP and DPA, respectively.

Detection of bacterial spores with lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes

The detection of bacterial spores via dipicolinate-triggered lanthanide luminescence has been improved in terms of detection limit, stability, and susceptibility to interferents by use of lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes. Specifically, we compared the effectiveness of Sm, Eu, Tb, and Dy complexes with the macrocycle 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-diacetate (DO2A) to the corresponding lanthanide aquo ions. The Ln(DO2A)(+) binary complexes bind dipicolinic acid (DPA), a major constituent of bacterial spores, with greater affinity and demonstrate significant improvement in bacterial spore detection. Of the four luminescent lanthanides studied, the terbium complex exhibits the greatest dipicolinate binding affinity (100-fold greater than Tb(3+) alone, and 10-fold greater than other Ln(DO2A)(+) complexes) and highest quantum yield. Moreover, the inclusion of DO2A extends the pH range over which Tb-DPA coordination is stable, reduces the interference of calcium ions nearly 5-fold, and mitigates phosphate interference 1000-fold compared to free terbium alone. In addition, detection of Bacillus atrophaeus bacterial spores was improved by the use of Tb(DO2A)(+), yielding a 3-fold increase in the signal-to-noise ratio over Tb(3+). Out of the eight cases investigated, the Tb(DO2A)(+) binary complex is best for the detection of bacterial spores.