Eco-friendly Fluorescent Sensor for Sensitive and Selective Detection of Zn2+ and Fe3+ Ions: Applications in Human Hair Samples

A new eco-friendly sensor, 3-((6-((4-chlorobenzylidene)amino)pyridin-2-yl)imino)indolin-2-one (CBAPI) was synthesized and well characterized. The CBAPI sensor was employed for detecting Zn2+ and Fe3+ ions. It exhibited a low limit of detection at pH 6.0, with values of 2.90, for Zn2+ and 3.59 nmol L-1 for Fe3+ ions. The sensor demonstrated high selectivity over other interfering cations. Additionally, the high binding constants reflect the great affinity of sensor towards Zn2+ and Fe3+ ions. To further validate its quantification ability for Zn2+ ions, the synthesized CBAPI sensor was used to determine Zn levels in human hair samples, and the results were confirmed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The AGREE metric tool was used to assess the method's environmental impact and practical applicability. These positive outcomes indicated that the new method for detecting Zn2+ and Fe3+ ions is environmentally friendly and safe for humans. The developed CBAPI sensor represents a potential development in metal ion detection, combining sensitivity, selectivity, and rapidity.

A Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor Based on Chelation-Enhanced Fluorescence of Carbon Dots for Zinc Ion Detection

Zinc ion, one of the most important transition metal ions in living organisms, plays a crucial role in the homeostasis of the organism. The disorder of zinc is associated with many major diseases. It is highly desirable to develop selective and sensitive methods for the real-time detection of zinc ions. In this work, double-emitting fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) are prepared by a solvothermal method using glutathione, L-aspartic acid, and formamide as the raw materials. The carbon dots specifically recognize zine ions and produce a decrease in fluorescence intensity at 684 nm and an increase at 649 nm, leading to a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for zinc detection. Through surface modification and spectral analysis, the surface groups including carboxyl, carbonyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups, and C=N in heterocycles of CDs are revealed to synergistically coordinate Zn2+, inducing the structural changes in the emission site. The CDs can afford a low limit of detection of ~5 nM for Zn2+ detection with good linearity in the range of 0.02-5 μM, showing good selectivity as well. The results from real samples including fetal bovine serum, milk powder, and zinc gluconate oral solution indicated the good applicability of the CDs in the determination of Zn2+.

A highly selective sequential recognition probe for Zn2+ and HSO4-/H2PO4- based on a diarylethene chemosensor

A novel diarylethene derivative chemosensor DTP-o connected to Schiff base unit for fluorescent detection of Zn²⁺ and relay-detection of HSO₄^-/H₂PO₄^- was designed and synthesized successfully. DTP-o displayed excellent photochromism and fluorometric sensing toward Zn²⁺ to form DTP-o-Zn²⁺ complex in acetonitrile with the detection limit of 5.62 × 10^-7 M. And the form of DTP-o combined with Zn²⁺ could further be verified by Job's plot titrations and mass spectrometry analysis. Furthermore, the complex of DTP-o-Zn²⁺ showed an excellent characteristic of fluorescent relay-response toward HSO₄^- and H₂PO₄^- with high sensitivity and selectivity. The detection limits for HSO₄^- and H₂PO₄^- were as low as 3.04 × 10^-8 M and 3.41 × 10^-8 M, respectively. Moreover, the sensor DTP-o could also be applied to detect Zn²⁺ on practical samples and test strips with high accuracy.

Synthesis of an unprecedented H-stitched binuclear crystal structure based on selective fluorescence recognition of Zn2+ in newly synthesized Schiff base ligand with DFT and imaging application in living cells

Single hydrogen atom stitched giant binuclear crystal.

Double-Emission Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensors Composed of Rare-Earth-Doped ZnS Quantum Dots for Hg2+ Detection

Quantum dots (QDs) are a class of zero-dimensional nanocrystal materials, whose lengths are limited to 2-10 nm. Their unique advantages such as wide excitation spectra, narrow emission spectra, and high quantum yield make their application possible in fluorescence sensing, wherein QDs such as CdSe, CdTe, and CdS are used. Indeed, QDs have a wide range of applications in fluorescence sensing, and there have been many reports of applications based on QDs as ion probes. The emission spectra of QDs can be adjusted by changing the size of the QDs or doping them with other ions/elements. However, the high toxicity of Cd and the poor anti-interference ability of single-emission fluorescent probes greatly limit the applications of QDs in many fields. In this paper, ZnS QDs are doped with the rare-earth element Ce to form a low-toxicity double-emission ratiometric fluorescent sensor, ZnS:Ce, for Hg²⁺ detection. The results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical spectroscopy show that ZnS:Ce QDs were successfully synthesized. Under the optimal conditions, the concentration of Hg²⁺ was in the range of 10-100 μM, which had a linear relationship with the fluorescence intensity of the ZnS:Ce QDs: the linear correlation coefficient was 0.998, and the detection limit was 0.82 μM L^-1. In addition, the fluorescent sensor had good selectivity for Hg²⁺, and it was successfully applied to the detection of Hg²⁺ in laboratory water samples.

Amino acid-derived alternating polyampholyte luminogens

A unique polyampholyte luminogen comprised of alternatively placed oppositely charged moieties onto the poly(styrene-alt-maleimide) skeleton was synthesized, and used for the specific detection of carbon disulfide (CS₂) in both solution and vapor phases.

para-Hydroxy Thiophenol-Coated CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots as a Turn-On Fluorescent Probe for H2O2 Detection in Aqueous Media

Since hydrogen peroxide plays an important role in various fields, a facile, simple, highly selective, and stable analytic method for H2O2 is desirable. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have acted as a potential alternative for organic fluorophores in fluorescence analytical fields due to their superior optical properties. Herein, we report hydrophilic p-hydroxy thiophenol (p-HTP) coated CdSe/ZnS QDs (denoted as p-HTP-QDs) acting as a selective fluorescence ‘turn-on’ probe for H2O2 in aqueous media. The obtained p-HTP-QD probe exhibits weak fluorescence, which stems from hole transfer from the QDs to p-HTP. The presence of H2O2 induces an oxidative structural transformation of p-HTP in p-HTP-QDs from a phenol structure to an α-hydroxy ketone derivative, which extremely reduces the driving force for hole transfer. Thus, the QDs photoluminescence (PL) was re-switched on. Under optimized conditions, an excellent linear relationship between fluorescence response and H2O2 concentration could be produced with a linear range from 0.309 to 4.900mM. The limit of detection of this probe was found to be 0.135mM. Moreover, the present probe exhibited a high selectivity of H2O2 over other reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and was successfully used in the detection of H2O2 in real water samples.

Photoluminescence light-up detection of zinc ion and imaging in living cells based on the aggregation induced emission enhancement of glutathione-capped copper nanoclusters

In this work, we prepared glutathione (GSH)-capped copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) with red emission by simply adjusting the pH of GSH/Cu²⁺ mixture at room temperature. A photoluminescence light-up method for detecting Zn²⁺ was then developed based on the aggregation induced emission enhancement of GSH-capped Cu NCs. Zn²⁺ could trigger the aggregation of Cu NCs, inducing the enhancement of luminescence and the increase of absolute quantum yield from 1.3% to 6.2%. GSH-capped Cu NCs and the formed aggregates were characterized, and the possible mechanism was also discussed. The prepared GSH-capped Cu NCs exhibited a fast response towards Zn²⁺ and a wider detection range from 4.68 to 2240μM. The detection limit (1.17μM) is much lower than that of the World Health Organization permitted in drinking water. Furthermore, taking advantages of the low cytotoxicity, large Stokes shift, red emission and light-up detection mode, we explored the use of the prepared GSH-capped Cu NCs in the imaging of Zn²⁺ in living cells. The developed luminescence light-up nanoprobe may hold the potentials for Zn²⁺-related drinking water safety and biological applications.

Mn-Doped ZnSe quantum dots initiated mild and rapid cation exchange for tailoring the composition and optical properties of colloid nanocrystals: novel template, new applications

Although cation exchange (CE) has been studied for many years and some mechanisms were proposed, there is still a knowledge gap in CE and problems such as the need for high temperature and it being time-consuming are still unaddressed. We developed a new mild strategy for CE by introducing a new ideal template and first applied this doping strategy to detect Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺. This strategy adopted Mn-doped ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) as the template and the introduction occurs via a two-step CE reaction: first Zn²⁺ was partially substituted by X (X = Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ag⁺ or Pb²⁺), later Mn²⁺ (in the deep structure of QDs) was substituted by X. Remarkably, Mn²⁺ in the lattice can be easily substituted by a dopant and its replacement by a dopant helps to bury the metal ions. The ultra-fast introduction of Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ (70 minutes for Cd²⁺ and 19 minutes for Hg²⁺) was realized at room temperature; other metal ions such as Ag⁺, Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ can be buried at 50 °C. This mild reaction temperature offers a solution for introducing impurities without sacrificing the interfacial structure of nanocrystals. HRTEM, XPS and ICP measurements were applied to analyze the introduction process. Furthermore, the spectroscopic method was employed to analyze the introduction, migration and distribution of metal ions. Then, we proposed a mechanism for the chemical conversion of nanocrystals by CE. Through this strategy, full-color light-emitting doped QDs were fabricated. Strikingly, a new turn-on probe for the detection of Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ with improved selectivity was developed by adopting this doping strategy. The detection limit is 36 nM for Cd²⁺ and 20 nM for Hg²⁺, which is competitive with the limit of detection reported by other groups using QDs as sensors.

Chemically induced fluorescence switching of carbon-dots and its multiple logic gate implementation

Investigations were carried out on the carbon-dots (C-dots) based fluorescent off - on (Fe(3 + )- S2O3(2-)) and on - off (Zn(2 + )- PO4(3-)) sensors for the detection of metal ions and anions. The sensor system exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards the detection of biologically important Fe(3 + ), Zn(2 + ) metal ions and S2O3(2-), PO4(3-) anions. It was found that the functional group on the C-dots surface plays crucial role in metal ions and anions detection. Inspired by the sensing results, we demonstrate C-dots based molecular logic gates operation using metal ions and anions as the chemical input. Herein, YES, NOT, OR, XOR and IMPLICATION (IMP) logic gates were constructed based on the selection of metal ions and anions as inputs. This carbon-dots sensor can be utilized as various logic gates at the molecular level and it will show better applicability for the next generation of molecular logic gates. Their promising properties of C-dots may open up a new paradigm for establishing the chemical logic gates via fluorescent chemosensors.

A naked-eye pH-modulated ratiometric photoluminescence sensor based on dual-emission quantum dot@silica nanoparticles for Zn2+ and IO3−

A sensitive and selective ratiometric photoluminescence (PL) sensor comprised of dual-emission quantum dots (QDs)@silica nanoparticles has been developed for the detection of Zn²⁺ and IO₃⁻.

A novel dual-emission ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensing and intracellular imaging of Zn2+

The integration of unique characteristics of nanomaterials with highly specific recognition elements, such as biomolecules and organic molecules, are the foundation of many novel nanoprobes for bio/chemical sensing and imaging. In the present report, branched polyethylenimine (PEI) was grafted with 8-chloroacetyl-aminoquinoline to synthesize a water-soluble and biocompatible quinoline-based Zn(2+) probe PEIQ. Then the PEIQ was covalently conjugated to [Ru(bpy)3](2+)-encapsulated SiNPs to obtain the ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe which exhibits a strong fluorescence emission at 600 nm and a negligible fluorescence emission at 500 nm in the absence of Zn(2+) upon a single wavelength excitation. After the addition of different amounts of Zn(2+), the fluorescence intensity at 500 nm increased continuously while the fluorescence intensity at 600 nm remained stable, thus changing the dual emission intensity ratios and displaying continuous color changes from red to green which can be clearly observed by the naked eye. The nanoprobe exhibits good water dispersivity, biocompatibility and cell permeability, high selectivity over competing metal ions, and high sensitivity with a detection limit as low as 0.5 μM. Real-time imaging of Zn(2+) in A549 cells has also been realized using this novel nanoprobe.

A novel carboxymethyl chitosan-quantum dot-based intracellular probe for Zn2+ ion sensing in prostate cancer cells

In this paper, we fabricated novel carboxymethyl chitosan-coated CdTe quantum dots (CMC-CdTe QDs) via the electrostatic interaction between amino groups in the carboxymethyl chitosan polymeric chains and carboxyl groups of the CdTe QDs. Carboxymethyl chitosan on the surface of CdTe QDs had strong binding ability with Zn(2+), resulting in the obvious enhancement of the photoluminescence of CdTe QDs. The photoluminescence intensity of CMC-CdTe QDs probe was proportional to the concentration of Zn(2+) in the range of 5.0 × 10(-6) to 5.0 × 10(-3) mol l(-1). The detection limit for Zn(2+) was 4.5 × 10(-6) mol l(-1). The experimental results indicate that the CMC-CdTe QDs possess favorable cell compatibility, good sensitivity and selectivity for intracellular Zn(2+) sensing, and are promising candidates for cellular imaging and sensing in prostate cancer cells. The present study also provides an approach for the further development of nanoprobes dedicated to intracellular sensing.

Semicondutor quantum dots-based metal ion probes

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) exhibit unique optical and photophysical properties that offer significant advantages over organic dyes as optical labels for chemo/bio-sensing. This review addresses the methods for metal ion detection with QDs, including photoluminescent, electrochemiluminescent, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemical approaches. The main mechanisms of direct interaction between QDs and metal ions which lead to photoluminescence being either off or on, are discussed in detail. These direct interactions provide great opportunities for developing simple yet effect metal ion probes. Different methods to design the chemically-modified QD hybrid structures through anchoring metal ion-specific groups onto the surface of QDs are summarized. Due to the spatial separation of the luminescence center and analyte recognition sites, these chemically-modified QDs offer greatly improved sensitivity and selectivity for metal ions. Several interesting applications of QD-based metal ion probes are presented, with specific emphasis on cellular probes, coding probes and sensing with logic gate operations.

Quinoline derivative-functionalized carbon dots as a fluorescent nanosensor for sensing and intracellular imaging of Zn2+

Functionalization of carbon nanodots (C-dots) with quinoline derivatives enables a highly sensitive and specific nanosensor for Zn²⁺ sensing in aqueous solution and Zn²⁺ imaging in vivo.

Development of a novel water-soluble magnetic fluorescent nanoparticle for the selective detection and removal of Cu2+

Recently, much attention has been paid to the selective detection and removal of Cu2+ because an excess of Cu2+ can harm the environment and living systems. Herein, we developed a novel water-soluble di-2-picolylamine/proline co-modified Fe3O4@ZnS magnetic fluorescent nanoparticle (MFNP-Cu) for the selective detection and removal of Cu2+ through a dithiocarbamate linkage strategy. The characterization of MFNP-Cu was confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), magnetization hysteresis loops, infrared (IR) and emission spectra. The results showed that MFNP-Cu could quantifiably detect Cu2+ with high sensitivity and selectivity over a broad pH range (pH 4.1-9). The maximum adsorption capacity of MFNP-Cu was calculated to be about 517.9 mg g(-1), which is higher than previously reported. This excellent property was investigated by kinetics equilibrium and thermodynamic studies. Moreover, the removal properties of MFNP-Cu toward Cu2+ from contaminated water samples was achieved by an external magnetic field.