Synthesis and properties of three novel rhodamine-based fluorescent sensors for Hg2+

Three novel rhodamine-based Hg~(2+) fluorescent sensors were designed and synthesized. The sensors could work in semi-aqueous solutions with nearly neutral p H and showed high selectivity and sensitivity to Hg~(2+) with remarkable fluorescence enhancement. For these three sensors, the linear working range broadened(0–80, 0–100 and 0–140 μmol/L, respectively) and the sensitivity increased(7.7, 15.5 and 17.6 folds of the fluorescence enhancement and 512, 66.2 and 37.6 ppb of the detection limit) with the rising of the thiourea-unit numbers. Furthermore the sensors exhibited excellent interference immunity to multiple environmentally and biologically relevant metal ions. Pond and tap water assay showed good practicability of the sensors. The number of the bound Hg~(2+) equaling to that of the thiourea units and the irreversible recognition process implied a new interaction way between Hg~(2+) and the sensor.     

Thiourea functionalized CdSe/CdS quantum dots as a fluorescent sensor for mercury ion detection

CdSe/CdS quantum dots(QDs) functionalized by thiourea(TU) were synthesized and used as a fluorescent sensor for mercury ion detection.The TU-functionalized QDs were prepared by bonding TU via electrostatic interaction to the core/shell CdSe/CdS QDs after capping with thioglycolic acid(TGA).It was observed that the fluorescence of the functionalized QDs was quenched upon the addition of Hg~(2+).The quantitative detection of Hg~(2+) with this fluorescent sensor could be conducted based on the linear relationship between the extent of quenching and the concentration of Hg~(2+) added in the range of1-300 μg L~(-1).A detection limit of 0.56 μg L~(-1) was achieved.The sensor showed superior selectivity for Hg~(2+) and was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in environmental samples with satisfactory results.     

A rhodamine derivative for Hg2+-selective colorimetric and fluorescent sensing and its application to in vivo imaging

A rhodamine-based sensor has been developed for the detection of mercuric ions. The colorimetric and fluorescence responses, allowing naked-eye detections, are based on Hg~(2+)-induced opening of the rhodamine spirocycle. Among all the testes ions, only Hg~(2+)generated a significant fluorescence enhancement of up to 300-fold, with a bright yellow–green emission. This sensor was a low toxic compound, and was successfully applied in the in vivo imaging of Hg~(2+)in Spill 2 cells and C. elegans. This approach provides a sensitive and accurate method for the estimation of Hg~(2+)in environmental, tobacco and biological applications.     

Homogeneous DNA Detection Based on Fluorescence Quenching by Nanoparticles in Single-step Format :Target-Induced Configuration Transform

A new strategy for homogeneous detection of DNA hybridization in single-step format was developed based on fluorescence quenching by gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticle is functionalized with 5’-thiolated 48-base oligonucleotide (probe sequence), whose 3’-terminus is labeled with fluorescein (FAM), a negatively charged fluorescence dye. The oligonucleotide adopts an extended configuration due to the electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged gold nanoparticle and the FAM-attached probe sequence. After addition of the complementary target sequence, specific DNA hybridization induces a conformation change of the probe from an extended structure to an arch-like configuration, which brings the fluorophore and the gold nanoparticle in close proximity. The fluorescence is efficiently quenched by gold nanoparticles. The fluorescence quenching efficiency is related to the target concentration, which allows the quantitative detection for target sequence in a sample. A linear detection range from 1.6 to 209.4 nmol/L was obtained under the optimized experimental conditions with a detection limit of 0.1 nmol/L. In the assay system, the gold nanoparticles act as both nanoscaffolds and nanoquenchers. Furthermore, the proposed strategy, in which only two DNA sequences are involved, is not only different from the traditional molecular beacons or reverse molecular beacons but also different from the commonly used sandwich hybridization methods. In addition, the DNA hybridization detection was achieved in homogenous solution in a single-step format, which allows real-time detection and quantification with other advantages such as easy operation and elimination of washing steps.     

A Transparent Thin Film with Hexagonal Mesostructure Containing Rhodamine 6G

A transparent this film was prepared by depositing the sol-gel mixture for the synthesis of MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve doped with rhodamine 6G(R6G) dye on glass substrates. The film of silica-surfactant-R6G materials, which was identified to possess hexagonally ordered mesostructure,was composed of nanocrystallites about 35 nm in diameter and 1-10μm in thickness. Cleanness of the substrates, concentration of the sol-gel mixture and rate of evaporation of the solvent were the key factors affecting transparency and homogeneity of the film. Moreover,optical change and lack in dye aggregation were observed to the R6G-functionalized MCM-41 thin film in contrast with that in ethanol solution.     

The preparation and fluorescence properties of europium nanoparticles

A new structured metallic nanomaterial of europium nanoparticle was prepared using tannic acid as the reductive agent,and nanoeuropium protein conjugates were synthesized by the method of lipoic acid modification on the surface of nanoparticle,which opens a new field of application of lanthanides in nanotechniques.Their properties were also characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy (TEM),and fluorescence spectroscopy.The europium nanoparticle and its protein conjugates solution were stable and water-soluble.The fluorescence intensity of the composite europium nanoparticles was significantly increased in the presence of trace protein,and was linear proportional to the concentration of proteins under optimum conditions.According to this,a fluorimetric method for the determination of protein was developed in this paper.     

Detection of parathion methyl using a surface plasmon resonance sensor combined with molecularly imprinted films

An ultra-sensitive and highly selective parathion methyl(PM) detection method by surface plasmon resonance(SPR) combined with molecularly imprinted films(MIF) was developed. The PM-imprinted film was prepared by thermo initiated polymerization on the bare Au surface of an SPR sensor chip.Template PM molecules were quickly removed by an organic solution of acetonitrile/acetic acid(9:1,v/v), causing a shift of 0.58 in SPR angle. In the concentrations range of 10à13–10à10mol/L, the refractive index showed a gradual increase with higher concentrations of template PM and the changes of SPR angles were linear with the negative logarithm of PM concentrations. In the experiment, the minimum detectable concentration was 10à13mol/L. The selectivity of the thin PM-imprinted film against diuron,tetrachlorvinphose and fenitrothion was examined, but no observable binding was detected. The results in the experiment suggested that the MIF had the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity.     

A colorimetric chemosensor based on new water-soluble PODIPY dye for Hg2+ detection

The phosphorus-containing PODIPY 1 as a chemosensor can detect Hg~(2+) by a color change from pink to violet red without the use of any instrumentation. PODIPY 1 was selective to Hg~(2+)with a remarkable absorption change, and addition of other relevant metal ions caused almost no absorption change. The new PODIPY dye 1 was sensitive to various concentrations of Hg~(2+). The energy gap between the HOMO and LUMO of the metal complex 1–Hg~(2+)is smaller than that of chemosensor 1, which is in good agreement with the red shift in the absorption observed upon treatment of 1 with Hg~(2+). The 1-based test strips were easily fabricated and low-cost, useful in practical and efficient Hg~(2+)test kits.     

Ultra-sensitive detection of uranyl ions with a specially designed high-efficiency SERS-based microfluidic device

The uranyl ion(UO_2~(2+)) poses high risks to human health and the environment, hence its detection and monitoring is of utmost significance. However, the development of an ultra-sensitive, high-efficiency and convenient approach for on-site detection of UO_2~(2+) remains a challenge. Herein, a reliable and reusable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS)-based microfluidic biosensor was developed for rapid detection of UO_2~(2+) in real samples. The detection protocol involved the reaction of 5′-Rhodamine B(RhB)-labeled double-stranded DNA for UO_2~(2+)-specific DNAzyme-cleavage reaction in a U-shaped microchannel. Then, the reaction products were delivered into three parallel samples for high-throughput tests by SERS biochips,where 3 D ZnO-Ag mesoporous nanosheet arrays(MNSs) were modified with a single-stranded DNA(ssDNA). The ssDNAwas sequence-complementary with the 5′-RhB-labeled cleaved-stranded DNA(csDNA) from the reaction products. By the hybridization of ssDNA and csDNA, the signal probe RhB was fixed close to the surface of the ZnO-Ag MNSs to enhance the Raman signal. The limit of detection for UO_2~(2+) with the microfluidic-SERS biosensor was 3.71×10~(-15) M. An over 20,000-fold selectivity towards UO_2~(2+) response was also achieved in the presence of 15 other metal ions. The high-throughput microfluidicSERS biosensor operated well for practical UO_2~(2+) detection, with excellent recoveries in contaminated river and tap water from95.2% to 106.3%(relative standard deviation(RSD) 6.0%, n=6). Although the SERS-based microfluidic biosensor developed in this study was deployed for the detection of UO_2~(2+), the reusable and high-efficiency system may be expanded to the detection of other analytes on-site.     

Novel colorimetric sensor for mercury (Ⅱ) based on layer-by-layer assembly of unmodified silver triangular nanoplates

A simple layer-by-layer deposition technique was used to fabricate the multilayer thin films of unmodified silver triangular nanoplates(AgTNPs).The multilayer of AgTNPs thin films were fabricated by alternate deposition of each anionic sodium citrate stabilized AgTNPs and cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).All prepared AgTNPs multilayer thin films were exhibited a strong plasmon band at the wavelength of 667 nm,which confirmed the formation of AgTNPs onto the substrate.The characteristics of the multilayer thin films were investigated using contact angle measurement,UV-visible spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD),atomic force microscope(AFM)and field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM).As these films are to be used as a mercury(II)colorimetric sensor,the changes in optical properties of the films were evaluated for various mercury(Ⅱ)concentrations.AgTNPs assembled into thin films showed a strong color shift from blue to mauve and colorless when exposed to mercury(Ⅱ).The constructed multilayer thin films exhibited excellent color changes of mercury(II) with a linear range between 0.5 and 20 ppm.The limit of detection(LOD) and limit of quantitation(LOQ) were 0.45 ± 0.002 and 1.52 ± 0.002 ppm,respectively.The recovery values of AgTNPs multilayer thin films are satisfactory in the range of 100.1%-106.4%when applied to determining mercury(Ⅱ) in water samples.     

Chemical interactions between silver nanoparticles and thiols: a comparison of mercaptohexanol against cysteine

The interaction between citrate capped silver nanoparticles and two different thiols, mercaptohexanol(MH) and cysteine, was investigated. The thiols interacted with silver nanoparticles in a significantly contrasting manner. With MH, a sparingly soluble silver(I) thiolate complex AgSRm(Rm = –(CH2)6OH) was formed on the silver nanoparticle surface. Cyclic voltammograms and UV-vis spectra were used to infer that the AgSRm complex on the nanoparticle surface undergoes a phase transition to give a mixture of AgSRm and Ag2S-like complexes. In contrast, when silver nanoparticles were exposed to cysteine, the citrate capping agent on the silver nanoparticles was replaced by cysteine to give cysteine capped nanoparticles. As cysteine capped nanoparticles form, the electrochemical data displayed a decrease in oxidative peak charge but the UV-vis spectra showed a constant signal. Therefore, cysteine capped nanoparticles were suggested to have either inactivated the silver surface or else promoted detachment from the electrode surface.     

A highly selective turn-on colorimetric and luminescence sensor based on a triphenylamine-appended ruthenium(Ⅱ) dye for detecting mercury ion

A dual colorimetric and luminescent sensor based on a heteroleptic ruthenium dye[Ru(Hipdpa)(Hdcbpy)(NCS)_2]~-·0.5H~+ 0.5[N(C_4H_9)_4]~+ Ru(Hipdpa) {where Hdcbpy = monodeprotonted-4,4'-dicarboxy-2.2'-bipyridineand Hipdpa = 4-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][l,10]phenanthroIin-2-yl)-N,N-diphenylaniIine} for selective detection of Hg~(2+) is presented.The results of spectrophotometric titrations revealed an evident luminescence intensity enhancement(I/I_0 =11) and a considerable blue shift in visible absorption and luminescence maxima with the addition of Hg~(2+).The sensitive response of the optical sensor on Hg~(2+) was attributed to the binding of the electron-deficient Hg~(2+) to the electron-rich sulfur atom of the thiocyanate(NCS) ligand in the Ru(Hipdpa).which led to an increase in the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO).Accordingly,the blue shift in the absorption spectrum of Ru(Hipdpa) due to the binding of Hg~(2+) was obtained.Ru(Hipdpa) was found to have decreased Hg~(2+) detection limit and improved linear region as compared to di(tetrabutylammonium) ris-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridine-4-carboxylic acid-4'-carboxylate)ruthenium(Ⅱ) N719.Moreover,a dramatic color change from pink to yellow was observed,which allowed simple monitoring of Hg~(2+) by either naked eyes or a simple colorimetric reader.Therefore,the proposed sensor can provide potential applications for Hg~(2+) detection.     

Luminescence Quenching Behavior of Oxygen Sensing ORMOSIL Films Based on Ruthenium Complex

An organically modified silicate(ORMOSIL) based optical sensor response to gaseous O2 or O2 dissolved in water is presented. The oxygen sensing film mechanism is based on the principle of fluorescence quenching of tris(4,7-diphenyl-l , 10-phenanthroline) ruthenium ( ) ([Ru(dpp)3]2+), which has been entrapped in a porous ORMOSIL film. In order to establish optimum film-processing parameters, comprehensive investigations, including the effects of the polarity and the hydrophobicity of the sensing film on oxygen quenching response and response time, were carried out. The film hydrophobicity increased as a function of dimethyl-dimethoxysilane (DiMe-DMOS) content, which is correlated with enhanced oxygen sensor performance. The sensor developed in the present work exhibits the advantages of fast response time and good reversibility. The detection limits are 0. 5 % and 0. 3 g/mL for O2 in the gaseous and the aqueous phases, respectively.     

Pulsed Laser Deposition ZnS Buffer Layers for CIGS Solar Cells

Polycrystalline ZnS films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition （PLD） on quartz glass substrates under different growth conditions at different substrate temperatures of 20, 200, 400, and 600 ℃, which is a suitable alternative to chemical bath deposited （CBD） CdS as a buffer layer in Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） solar cells. X-ray diffraction studies indicate the films are polycrystalline with zinc-blende structure and they exhibit preferential orientation along the cubic phase β-ZnS （111） direction, which conflicts with the conclusion of wurtzite structure by Murali that the ZnS films deposited by pulse plating technique was polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. The Raman spectra of grown films show Al mode at approximately 350 cm^-1, generally observed in the cubic phase β-ZnS compounds. The planar and the cross-sectional morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopic. The dense, smooth, uniform grains are formed on the quartz glass substrates through PLD technique. The grain size of ZnS deposited by PLD is much smaller than that of CdS by conventional CBD method, which is analyzed as the main reason of detrimental cell performance. The composition of the ZnS films was also measured by X-ray fluorescence. The typical ZnS films obtained in this work are near stoichiometric and only a small amount of S-rich. The energy band gaps at different temperatures were obtained by absorption spectroscopy measurement, which increases from 3.2 eV to 3.7 eV with the increasing of the deposition temperature. ZnS has a wider energy band gap than CdS （2.4 eV）, which can enhance the blue response of the photovoltaic cells. These results show the high-quality of these substitute buffer layer materials are prepared through an all-dry technology, which can be used in the manufacture of CIGS thin film solar cells.     

功能化荧光素掺杂二氧化硅纳米粒子用于免疫层析试验

A simple but effective approach was developed to synthesize amino functionalized fluorescein isothiocyanate-doped silica nanoparticles based upon polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane. Organic dye molecule (fluorescein isothiocyanate) coupled with a silane coupling agent, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, was incorporated into silica sphere through controlled hydrolysis and polymerization of tetraethoxysilane. The dye was connected with silica sphere through 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, which avoided the leakage of the dye. The cohydrolysis and polymerization of tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane outside the surface of the silica sphere formed another thin silica shell with the functionalized amino groups on the surface. With amino groups on the surface, the nanoparticle surface was affluent in positive charges. The amino-functionalized nanoparticles were linked with mouse monoclonal antibody against hepatitis B virus surface antigen through electrostatic interaction to form fluorescence probes, which were tested by immunochromatographic assay using immunochromatography test strip. It was indicated that the fluorescence probe was suitable for immunoassay.     

Fluorescent carbon dots derived from lactose for assaying folic acid

The fluorescent carbon dots were successfully synthesized by simply heating the mixture of lactose and Na OH solution. The as-synthesized carbon dots had been systematically characterized by fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared(FTIR), high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HR-TEM) and ~(13)C NMR. Since the fluorescence of the carbon dots was efficiently quenched by folic acid, the carbon dots were employed as selective fluorescence probes for detecting folic acid, depending on the formation of hydrogen bond among the functional group of folic acid(–OH, –COOH and –NH_2) and –OH and –COOH of the carbon dots. Moreover, the decrease of fluorescence intensity was capable of detecting folic acid in a linear range of 6×10~(-5)–8×10~(-8) mol/L with a detection limit of 1.2×10~(-9)mol/L at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, suggesting a promising assay for folic acid. Significantly, the practicability of this fluorescence probe to assay folic acid in human urine samples was further evaluated.     

The synthesis of B,N-carbon dots by a combustion method and the application of fluorescence detection for Cu~(2+)

Heteroatom doping is an efficient approach to regulate the fluorescence properties of carbon dots.Using aminophenylboronic acid as the raw material,a combustion method was developed for the synthesis of boron,nitrogen-doped carbon dots(B,N-carbon dots).The B,N-carbon dots emitted green fluorescence and displayed high resistance to both photo bleaching and ionic strength.A facile fluorescence sensing approach for Cu~(2+) was fabricated via static fluorescence quenching.Under optimal conditions,a rapid detection of Cu~(2+) could be completed in 2 min with a linearity ranging from 1 μmol/L to 25 μmol/L and a detection limit of 0.3 μmol/L Furthermore,the proposed method showed potential applications for the detection of Cu~(2+) in natural water samples.     

Mixed-phase Mesoporous TiO2 Film for High Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells

Mesoporous scaffold structures have played great roles in halide perovskite solar cells(PSCs),due to the excellent photovoltaic performance and commercial perspective of mesoporous PSCs.Here,we reported a mixed-phase TiO2 mesoporous film as an efficient electron transport layer(ETL)for mesoporous perovskite solar cells.Due to the improved crystal phase,fihn thickness and nanopartMe size of TiO2 layer,which were controlled by varying the one-step hydrothermal reaction time and annealing time,the PSCs exhibited an outstanding short circuit photocurrent density of 25.27 mA/cm^2,and a maximum power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.87%.It is found that the ultra-high Jsc attributes to the excellent film quality,light capturing and excellent electron transport ability of mixed-phase TiO2 mesoporous film.The results indicate that mix-phase mesoporous metal oxide fihns could be a promising candidate for producing effective ETLs and high efficiency PSCs.     

Determination of Thyroxine with Capillary Electrophoretic Enzyme Immunoassay

Capillary electrophoretic immunoassay (CEIA) is a new analytical technique1,2. In CEIA, the detection methods were UV absorbance detection1 and laser induced fluorescence detection (LIF)2. However, The UV detection is lack of sensitivity. The LIF is difficult to use due to its high cost, and furthermore, most biological fluids are strongly luminescent when excited by the laser in the blue or green region of the spectrum. In our present work, a capillary electrophoretic enzyme immuno…     

Double Magnetic Separation-assisted Fluorescence Method for Sensitive Detection of Ochratoxin A

A double magnetic separation-assisted fluorescence method was developed to rapidly detect ochratoxin A(OTA). The OTA aptamer functionalized magnetic nanomaterial(Fe3O4-Aptanier) and complementary DNA conjugated nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots(NGQDs-cDNA) were used in this assay. Aptamer could hybridize with cDNA, which induced tlie NGQDs-cDNA to bind onto Fe3O4-Aptamer, and resulted in the fluorescence quenching of NGQDs. After the addition of OTA, the NGQDs-cDNA could release into the solution, and resulted in the recovery of fluorescence signal of NGQDs consequently. By utilizing the magnetic separation, the unbonded NGQDs-cDNA and residual Fe3O4-Aptamer were removed, which significantly increased the fluorescence signal intensity. OTA could be detected in the linear range of 10 nmol/L to 2000 nmol/L, with a limit of detection as 0.66 mnol/L. The advantages of this method include simple operation, good selectivity and high sensitivity, and this method can be used for the rapid detection of ochratoxin A in wheat and com.