An ultra-sensitive fluorescent probe for recognition of aluminum ions and its application in environment, food, and living organisms

The concentration of aluminum ions (Al3+) is closely related to the ecological environment, food safety, and human health, with excessive accumulation of Al3+ causing irreversible damage to both the ecological balance and human health. Therefore, a fluorescent probe ABHS, based on aminobenzoylhydrazide Schiff-base, was designed and synthesized in one step with a high yield. ABHS can form a 1:1 coordination complex with Al3+ in a pure water system. It exhibits ultra-sensitive and accurate detection of Al3+ even at low concentration of Al3+, with the detection limit of 6.7 nM. Furthermore, ABHS demonstrated significant enhancement of specific fluorescence for Al3+, with rapid response speed, good stability, and robust resistance to interference. Importantly, ABHS has shown excellent detection and imaging capabilities even in complex real environmental samples, food samples, and living organisms.

Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)-functionalized metal-organic frameworks for the ratiometric fluorescence determination of aluminum ions

A novel ratiometric fluorescence probe was designed for the determination of Al³⁺ by self-assembling of NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) and [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺. Under the excitation wavelength of 360 nm, the NH₂-MIL-101(Fe)@[Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ presented a dual-emitting luminescent property at 440 and 605 nm, respectively. In the presence of Al³⁺, the blue fluorescence of NH₂-MIL-101(Fe)@[Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ at 440 nm was enhanced remarkably, while the red emission at 605 nm was almost not influenced. Therefore, taking the fluorescence at 440 nm as the report signal and 605 nm as the reference signal, quantitative determination was achieved for Al³⁺ concentration in the ranges 0.2-25 μM and 25-250 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated to be 73 nM and 244 nM, respectively. The sensing mechanisms were studied by theoretical calculation and optical spectra. The analysis of real food samples confirmed the suitability of the proposed method. More importantly, portable fluorescent test papers were successfully manufactured to provide a strategy for visual, rapid, and on-site detection of Al³⁺.

A new naphthalimide-picolinohydrazide derived fluorescent "turn-on" probe for hypersensitive detection of Al3+ ions and applications of real water analysis and bio-imaging

The development of high-selective chemosensors for trace Al³⁺ detection in the ecosystem is crucially importance due to its detrimental effects. In this work, a simple Schiff-base fluorescent probe NPP derived from naphthalimide and picolinohydrazide was rationally designed and prepared for efficient detection of Al³⁺. NPP exhibited prominent sensing behaviors toward Al³⁺ with low detection limit (LOD) (39 nM), rapid response time (1 min), strong binding affinity (4.02 × 10⁴), good anti-interference characteristics and visual detection. Binding ratio of NPP-Al³⁺ complex was determined to be 1:1 by Job's plot analysis. In addition, the chelation mechanism of NPP with Al³⁺ ions was proposed and substantiated by the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), IR spectrum and ¹H NMR titration experiments. Furthermore, this "signal-on" probe NPP was efficiently utilized as a promising indicator for Al³⁺ detection in environmental and biological samples.

Naphthalimide appended isoquinoline fluorescent probe for specific detection of Al3+ ions and its application in living cell imaging

Herein, a novel Schiff base fluorescent probe NIQ based on naphthalimide and iso-quinoline units has been readily prepared for the selective detection of Al³⁺ ions. The obviously visible color changes and prominent fluorescence enhancement were observed upon the addition of Al³⁺ to NIQ, which could be attributed to the complexation of NIQ with Al³⁺ and thus leading to the inhibition of photo-induced electron transfer (PET) and the chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) progress. The limit of detection (LOD) was 52 nM that was far below the standard recommended by the WHO. Binding ratio (1:1) of NIQ with Al³⁺ ions was supported by Job's plot. The binding constant of NIQ for Al³⁺ were calculated to be 3.27 × 10⁵ M^-1 on the basis of benesi-Hildebrand plot. The plausible binding mechanism for NIQ towards Al³⁺ ions was evidenced by the density functional theory (DFT) and ¹H NMR titration experiment. Furthermore, this "turn-on" probe NIQ has been successfully applied as a biomarker for imaging the Al³⁺ ions in living cells.

Dissolution of copper oxide nanoparticles is controlled by soil solution pH, dissolved organic matter, and particle specific surface area

Dissolution is the primary process affecting the bioavailability and toxicity of nanoscale copper oxide (nano-CuO) to plants and soil organisms. In this study, particle morphology, organic acid, and soil properties were considered to understand the dissolution characteristics of nano-CuO in soil solutions. The results showed that the copper ions (Cu²⁺) released from spherical nano-CuO (CuO NPs), tubular nano-CuO (CuO NTs), and spherical microsized CuO (CuO MPs) in the ten soil solutions were 26.6-4194.0 μg/L, 4.90-217.1 μg/L, and 10.8-326.0 μg/L, respectively. The concentration of Cu²⁺ was negatively correlated with the pH of the soil solution and positively correlated with the contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), aluminum, and manganese. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis indicated that the dissolution of CuO NPs could be well predicted by pH and DOC contents of the soil solutions. In the GD soil solution (acidic), 4- and 8-fold of the DOC content amendments significantly promoted the dissolution of the three sizes of CuOs, resulting in an increase of Cu²⁺ 4.55-11.3 and 5.67-16.2 times, respectively. In the CQ soil solution (neutral), 8-fold DOC amendments increase the release of Cu²⁺ 2.13-16.6 times. While in the SD soil solution (alkaline), promoting effect on the dissolution was only observed for nano-CuOs, with Cu²⁺ elevated by factors of 1.56-4.64 and 1.38-4.48. The amendments of Al³⁺ and Mn²⁺ in soil solution increased the amounts of Cu²⁺ 1.13-4.80 and 1.02-1.46 times in the GD soil solution. In comparison, no significant promoting effects were observed in CQ and SD soil solutions due to their stronger buffering capacities. These findings offer insight into the dissolution behavior of nano-CuOs in soils and be helpful to evaluate their environmental risks.

A highly selective fluorescent probe for Al3+ based on bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde) oxaloyldihydrazone with aggregation-induced emission enhancement and gel properties

An efficient fluorescent probe, bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde) oxaloyldihydrazone (1), has been prepared for the selective sensing of Al³⁺ over other common metal ions in water-containing media. The 1:1 stoichiometry of 1 and Al³⁺ was determined from Job's plot and Benesti-Hildebrand plot. The binding constant was observed as 1.6×10⁵M^-1, and the limit of detection was found to be 0.36μM, which was far below the drinking water restriction of Al³⁺ by EPA (the maximum allowable value is 7.4μM). In addition, the inherent AIEE features of 1 were observed upon addition of water to DMSO solution due to the restriction of the intramolecular motion, which makes the molecular conformations rigid and planar. Moreover, 1 could act as a novel gelator to form thermo-reversible supramolecular organogel with significant green emission in DMSO-H₂O (v/v, 9:1) solution.

Inorganic coagulant induced gypsum scaling in nanofiltration process: Effects of coagulant concentration, coagulant conditioning time and fouling strategies

Nanofiltration is routinely applied as an advanced water treatment technology after conventional water treatment. However, the residual coagulant after coagulation process may affect the nanofiltration process and to our best of knowledge, few studies focused on this phenomenon. To address such issues, ferric and aluminum ions were adopted as the model coagulant, and the influences of coagulant concentrations, coagulant conditioning time and fouling strategies on gypsum scaling were systematically investigated. The results indicated that coagulant conditioned on the membrane surface could improve membrane flux, enhance scaling, and increase the conductivity of permeate. The contents of coagulant accumulated on the membrane surface gradually increased with its increasing concentration in feed solution and extending conditioning time, resulting in severer scaling and flux decline. Interestingly, the formation of heterogeneous scaling layer will contribute to membrane fouling alleviation and prevent the further flux decline regardless of the ongoing increase of coagulant concentrations in the feed water as well as on the membrane surface. As a result, a critical value of coagulant concentrations in the feed water was obtained in present conditions. Furthermore, it's found that successive fouling strategy could lead to less gypsum scaling but severer flux decline, compared to simultaneous fouling strategy. Both the scaling quantity and scaling morphologies conferred significant influence on the flux decline. It is suggested that the concentrations of coagulant should be strictly controlled prior to nanofiltration process, especially with practical relevance for the applications of it in treating the water rich in calcium ions and sulfate anions.

Al3+ enhanced room temperature phosphorescence of Pd-porphyrin resided in hybrid supramolecular gels and used for detection of trace Hg2+ ions

Micelle-hybridized supramolecular hydrogels were constructed through the self-assembly of gelator N,N-dibenzoyl-L-cystine (DBC) and micelles formed from a Gemini surfactant (G_12-8-12). A phosphor, palladium meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (Pd-TCPP) and Al³⁺ ions were loaded within the hybrid system. Interestingly, the room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of Pd-TCPP can be efficiently enhanced and modulated by the concentration of Al³⁺ ions. The enhancement effect could be attributed to the interactions between Al³⁺ and DBC as well as porphyrin, which verified by ¹H NMR analysis. The study of transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicated that a more compact 3D network structure of the gel system was formed upon the addition of Al³⁺. In addition, measurement of critical micelle concentration indicated that Al³⁺ ions increase the surface activity of G_12-8-12 to promote micelle formation, thereby increasing the dispersion of Pd-TCPP in the hybrid gels. Based on the synergistic effect of these results, the non-radiative transition of Pd-TCPP was efficiently inhibited, resulting in highly efficient RTP. Furthermore, the enhanced RTP of as-prepared gel system shows potential application to detect trace Hg²⁺ ions because the RTP can be quenched by Hg²⁺. A linear relationship between RTP against the logarithmic concentration of Hg²⁺ was found over the range of 6 × 10^-8 and 1 × 10^-6 mol/L. The detection limit was found to be 0.017 nmol/L.

A highly selective and sensitive turn-on probe for aluminum(III) based on quinoline Schiff's base and its cell imaging

A reversible Schiff's base fluorescence probe for Al³⁺, (3,5-dichloro-2- hydroxybenzylidene) quinoline-2-carbohydrazide (QC), based on quinoline derivative has been designed, synthesized and evaluated. The QC exhibited a high sensitivity and selectivity toward Al³⁺ in EtOH-H₂O (v/v=1:9, pH=6) by forming a 1:1 complex with Al³⁺ and the detection limit of QC for Al³⁺ was as low as 0.012μM. Furthermore, these results displayed that the binding of QCAl³⁺ was broken by F^-, so this system could be used to monitor F^- in the future. The enhancement fluorescence of the QC could be attributed to the inhibition of PET and ESIPT and the emergency of CHEF process induced by Al³⁺. More importantly, QC was not only successfully used for the determination of trace Al³⁺ in the tap water and the human blood serum, but was valid for fluorescence imaging of Al³⁺ in the Hela cells.

Influence on the generation of disinfection byproducts in a tannic acid solution by aluminum ions

Aluminum (Al) commonly exists in natural waters, and its salts are often used as coagulants in drinking water treatment. Therefore, associated with the security of drinking water, functions of Al ions (Al³⁺) on generation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) should not be ignored. This study focuses on DBPs and the carcinogenic factor of chlorinated water samples after the addition of Al³⁺ with different Al³⁺/initial tannic acid molar ratios. The results imply that Al³⁺ acts as a promoter of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and an inhibitor of trihalomethanes (THMs) when tannic acid is selected as model compound of natural organic matter during chlorination. Depending on the results of size exclusion chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometer, an equilibrium system can be assumed between hydrolysis and flocculation in tannic acid solution with Al³⁺. Furthermore, influences on the equilibrium system for Al³⁺ addition may result in various effects on generation and distribution ratios of THMs and HAAs during chlorination. Finally, according to the analyses of a fluorescence spectrophotometer, it is demonstrated that the presence of Al³⁺ helps to increase precursors of DBPs (humic acid-like organics) and then improve the generation of DBPs.

Effect of coexisting Al(III) ions on Pb(II) sorption on biochars: Role of pH buffer and competition

Biochar is being widely considered as a promising amendment agent for immobilizing heavy metals in contaminated acidic soils, where plenty of soluble Al(III) ions exist. In view of uncertain significance of the effects of coexisting Al(III) on Pb(II) sorption by biochars, this study used kenaf core biochar (KB550; high carbon, low ash) and sewage sludge biochar (SB550; low carbon, high ash) pyrolyzed at 550 °C to elucidate the influence of coexisting Al(III) species and biochars' mineral components on Pb(II) immobilization conducted in aqueous solution with initial pHs of 3.0-4.5. Results showed that Al(III) reduced Pb(II) sorption on KB550 primarily via pH buffering against biochar alkalinity, thus inhibiting lead carbonate formation. In contrast, the reduction on SB550 mainly resulted from direct competition for sorption sites, especially on Fe-rich phengite 2M1 and metakaolinite. Because of Pb-P precipitation and Pb-K interlayer exchange, the residual Pb(II) adsorption capacity resistant to coexisting Al(III) was 3-5 times higher on SB550 than on KB550. The Pb-K interlayer exchange was enhanced by lower pH and coexisting Al(III), while Pb-P precipitation was the dominant Pb(II) sorption mechanism on SB550 resistant to Al(III) buffering and competition at higher pH. Application of these two biochars as amendments confirmed that the mineral-rich SB550 was more suitable for Pb(II) immobilization in acidic soils with high levels of extractable Al(III).

A simple and rapid method for direct determination of Al(III) based on the enhanced resonance Rayleigh scattering of hemin-functionalized graphene-Al(III) system

A novel method for direct determination of Al(III) by using hemin-functionalized graphene (H-GO) has been established based on the enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) intensity. The characteristics of RRS spectra, the optimum reaction conditions, and the reaction mechanism have been investigated. In this experiment, the Al(III) would exist in sol-gel Al(OH)3 species under the condition of pH5.9 in aqueous solutions. When H-GO existed in the solution, the sol-gel Al(OH)3 would react with H-GO and result in enhancement of RRS intensity, owing to the enhanced hydrophobicity of H-GO surface. Therefore, a simple and rapid sensor for Al(III) was developed. The increased intensity of RRS is directly proportional to the concentration of Al(III) in the range of 10 nM-6 μM, along with a detection limit of 0.87 nM. Moreover, the sensor has been applied to determination of Al(III) concentration in real water and aspirin tablet samples with satisfactory results. Therefore, the proposed method is promising as an effective means for selective and sensitive determination of Al(III).

A new rapid colorimetric detection method of Al³⁺ with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity based on a new mechanism of aggregation of smaller etched silver nanoparticles

As a pathogenic factor of the Alzheimer׳s disease, aluminum has been associated with the damage of the central nervous system in humans. In this study, we propose a new facile and rapid colorimetric detection method of Al(3+) with excellent selectivity and high sensitivity based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) stabilized by reduced glutathione (GSH) in the presence of l-cysteine (Cys). The new mechanism of our Al(3+) detection system based on GSH-AgNPs, i.e., aggregation of smaller etched GSH-AgNPs, are confirmed by TEM, EDS and DLS. The aggregation of smaller etched GSH-AgNPs results in obvious color change of the nanoparticle dispersion from yellow to reddish brown, and red shift and intensity decrease of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption. The GSH concentration, Cys concentration and pH value of the GSH-AgNPRs-based detection system are respectively optimized to be 10.0 mM, 50.0 mM and 6.0 according to the sensing effect of Al(3+). At the optimized conditions, the selectivity of the GSH-AgNPs detection system for Al(3+) is excellent compared with other ions including K(+), Mg(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Mn(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Cu(2+), Cr(3+), Hg(2+), Ni(2+), [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] . Furthermore, this detection system is very sensitive for Al(3+). The limit of detection (LOD) is 1.2 µM by the naked eyes and 0.16 µM by UV-vis spectra, which are both much lower than the national drinking water standards (7.4 µM). Furthermore, the UV-vis detection offers a good linear detection range from 0.4 to 4.0 µM (R(2)=0.9924), which indicates that our developed detection system can also be used for the quantitative analysis of Al(3+). The detection results of real water samples indicate that this method can be used for real water detection.

A colorimetric and turn-on fluorescent chemosensor for Al(III) based on a chromone Schiff-base

A simple Schiff-base receptor 7-methoxychromone-3-carbaldehyde-(pyridylformyl) hydrazone (MCNH) was prepared. It exhibits an "off-on-type" mode with high sensitivity in the presence of Al(3+). This compound could be used as Al(3+) probe in ethanol and it features visible light excitation (433 nm) and emission (503 nm) profiles. Upon binding of Al(3+), a significant fluorescence enhancement with a turn-on ratio over 800-fold was triggered. However, other metal ions had no such significant effect on the fluorescence. MCNH can also be used as a colorimetric chemosensor for Al(3+), which is easily observed from colorless to yellow-green by the naked-eye. The detection limit of MCNH for Al(3+) was as low as 1.9×10(-7) M.