A specific visual-volumetric sensor for mercury ions based on smart hydrogel

On the basis of the "seeing is believing" concept and the existing theory of Hg2+ coordination chemistry, for the first time, we innovatively designed and synthesized a visual-volumetric sensor platform with fluorescein and uracil functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogel. Without the aid of any complicated instruments and power sources, the sensor-enabled quantitative μM-level Hg2+ detection Hg2+ by reading graduation on a pipette with the naked eye. The sensor undergoes volumetric response and shows a wide linear response range to Hg2+ (1.0 × 10-6-5.0 × 10-5 mol L-1) with 2.8 × 10-7 mol L-1 as the detection limit. The highly selective (easily distinguished Hg2+ from other common metal ions), rapid response (∼30 min), and acceptable repeatability (RSD < 5% in all cases) demonstrated that the developed sensor is suitable for onsite practical use for the determination of Hg2+ while being low-cost, simple, and portable. The design principles of the obtained materials and the construction techniques and methods of the sensors described in our study provide a new idea for the research and development of smart materials and a series of visual-volumetric sensors for other analytes.

Tuning anion binding properties of Bis(indolyl)methane Receptors: Effect of substitutions on optical responses

Chromogenic probes based onoxidizedbis(indolyl)methanes have been synthesized with varying substituents (R = -Me [1], -OMe [2], -OH, [3]) on the central aryl ring. In addition to electronic influence, the involvement of substituents in ion-dipole and charge-assisted hydrogen bonding interactions significantly alters the solvatochromic response and pH-sensitive behavior. In polar aprotic solvents, like CH₃CN, a concentration-dependent stepwise color change was observed with F^- ions. In the case of2, a reversible hydrogen bonding interaction between the deprotonated probe and HF₂^- dimer might be responsible for that, while step-wise deprotonation caused by F^- ions could be the probable reason with3. Since the formation of HF₂^- is energetically unfavorable in a polar protic solvent, the response of 2 with F^- ions appears to be very different in EtOH medium. Interestingly, no such alteration in anion sensing behavior was noticed with3going from an aprotic to a protic solvent.