A dual-mode visual detector for toxic hydrazine

Fabrication of Curcumin-Based Electrochemical Nanosensors for the Detection of Environmental Pollutants: 1,4-Dioxane and Hydrazine

This work reports the development of novel curcuminoid-based electrochemical sensors for the detection of environmental pollutants from water. In this study, the first set of electrochemical experiments was carried out using curcumin-conjugated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-CM) for 1,4-dioxane detection. The MWCNT-CM/GCE showed good sensitivity (103.25 nA nM-1 cm-2 in the linear range 1 nM to 1 µM), with LOD of 35.71 pM and LOQ of 108.21 pM. The second set of electrochemical experiments was carried out with bisdemethoxy curcumin analog quantum dots (BDMCAQD) for hydrazine detection. The BDMCAQD/GCE exhibited good sensitivity (74.96 nA nM-1 cm-2 in the linear range 100 nM to 1 µM), with LOD of 10 nM and LOQ of 44.93 nM. Thus, this work will serve as a reference for the fabrication of metal-free electrochemical sensors using curcuminoids as the redox mediator for the enhanced detection of environmental pollutants.

Revisiting Peri-Aryloxyquinones: From a Forgotten Photochromic System to a Promising Tool for Emerging Applications

Emerging applications of photochromic compounds demand new molecular designs that can be inspired by some long-known yet currently forgotten classes of photoswitches. In the present review, we remind the community about Peri-AryloxyQuinones (PAQs) and their unique photoswitching behavior originally discovered more than 50 years ago. At the heart of this phenomenon is the light-induced migration of an aromatic moiety (arylotropy) in peri-aryloxy-substituted quinones resulting in ana-quinones. PAQs feature absorbance of both isomers in the visible spectral region, photochromism in the amorphous and crystalline state, and thermal stability of the photogenerated ana-isomer. Particularly noticeable is the high sensitivity of the ana-isomer towards nucleophiles in solution. In addition to the mechanism of molecular photochromism and the underlaying structure-switch relationships, we analyze potential applications and prospects of aryloxyquinones in optically switchable materials and devices. Due to their ability to efficiently photoswitch in the solid state, PAQs are indeed attractive candidates for such materials and devices, including electronics (optically controllable circuits, switches, transistors, memories, and displays), porous crystalline materials, crystalline actuators, photoactivated sensors, and many more. This review is intended to serve as a guide for researchers who wish to use photoswitchable PAQs in the development of new photocontrollable materials, devices, and processes.

A fluorescent probe for the detection of N2H4 in solution, steam, and the biological system

Improper use of N₂H₄ will cause serious harm to the environment. Inhalation or skin contact with N₂H₄ will also cause a variety of diseases for humans and animals. Herein, a fluorescent probe (HFOAc) for the detection of N₂H₄ in solution, steam and the biological environment has been designed and synthesized.

Design of a ratiometric near-infrared fluorescent probe with double excitation for hydrazine detection in vitro and in vivo

Hydrazine has a wide range of industrial applications, but it is also a toxic and explosive chemical substance, which brings potential risks to human health and environmental safety. Therefore, rapid and sensitive monitoring of hydrazine is of great importance in environmental sciences and biological systems. In this work, a new near-infrared (NIR) ratiometric fluorescent probe (Ac-HY) was designed to detect hydrazine under double excitation and emission mode. Ac-HY exhibited large stokes shift (130 nm), high selectivity and sensitivity to hydrazine detection. The applications of Ac-HY probe for detecting hydrazine in vapor and imaging hydrazine in lipid droplets and zebrafish. Therefore, Ac-HY can be used to monitor the distribution of exogenous hydrazine in vitro and in vivo.