Ratiometry of monomer/excimer emissions of dipyrenyl thiacalix[4]arene for Cu detection: a potential Cu and K switched INHIBIT logic gate with NOT and YES logic functions

A new thiacalix[4]arene derivative 2 of 1,3-alternate conformation possessing two pyrene groups has been synthesized and examined for its cation recognition abilities towards different cations such as lithium, sodium, potassium, nickel, zinc, cadmium, silver, mercury, lead and copper by fluorescence spectroscopy. In CH₃CN/CH₂Cl₂ (1:1), the presence of Cu(II) induces the formation of a 1:2 ligand/metal complex, which exhibits increasing monomer emission at 376 nm at the expense of the fluorescent excimer emission of 2 centered at 476 nm. In the presence of K⁺, the intensity of the excimer emission increases along with the formation of a new blue shifted band at 435 nm which corresponds to a static dimer. The compound behaves as a fluorescent molecular switch upon chemical input of Cu²⁺ and K⁺.     

Reaction-based Hg signaling by excimer–monomer switching of a bis-pyrene dithioacetal

A novel reaction-based probe for fluorescence signaling of Hg²⁺ ions was developed. Selective Hg²⁺-induced cleavage of a dithioacetal resulting in switching from pyrene excimer to monomer emission was used for the signaling. Changes in excimer and monomer emissions of pyrene were readily employed for ratiometric signaling of Hg²⁺ ions in aqueous acetonitrile. Selective signaling of Hg²⁺ ions over other common metal ions was observed with a detection limit of 9.8 × 10⁻⁷ M.     

Fluorescent ratioable recognition of Cu in water using a pyrene-attached macrocycle/γ-cyclodextrin complex

A pyrene-functional fluoroionophore, 1 was used to construct a supramolecular 1/γ-CD complex for Cu²⁺ recognition in water. In aqueous γ-CD solution, 1 exhibits pyrene monomer fluorescence emission at 378 nm and 397 nm, while in the presence of Cu²⁺, it shows a pyrene excimer emission at 452 nm with a decrease in the monomer fluorescence due to the formation of a 1:2 metal-liganded complex. Based on the response characteristics of the supramolecular complex, a fluorescent ratiometric method was performed for the determination of Cu²⁺ concentration in water. With the optimum conditions described, Cu²⁺ in aqueous solution can be determined from 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ to 4.5 × 10⁻⁴ M. The Cu²⁺ selectivity of the complex is excellent, and the excimer fluorescence enhancements are very smaller induced by other heavy metal and transition metal ions.     

Novel spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of sulfite with rhodamine B hydrazide in a micellar medium

A novel spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of sulfite using rhodamine B hydrazide as fluorogenic reagent in the presence of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) surfactant micelles is described. The method is based on the mixture of sulfite with rhodamine B hydrazide, a colorless, non-fluorescent substance in Tween 80 surfactant micelles which gives rhodamine B-like fluorescence emission. The fluorescence intensity increase is linearly related to the concentration of sulfite in the range 5-800 ng ml⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.4 ng ml⁻¹ (3σ). The optimal conditions for the detection of sulfite are evaluated and the possible detection mechanism is also discussed. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of total sulfite in wines and compares well with the standard iodimetric method.     

Highly selective fluorescent sensing of Cu ion by an arylisoxazole modified calix[4]arene

A novel fluorescent chemosensor 1 with two anthraceneisoxazolymethyl groups at the lower rim of calix[4]arene has been synthesized, which revealed a dual emission (monomer and excimer) when excited at 375 nm. This chemosensor displayed a selective fluorescence quenching only with Cu²⁺ ion over all other metal ions examined. When Cu²⁺ ion was bound to 1, the fluorescence intensities of both monomer and excimer were quenched. Furthermore, the association constant for the 1:1 complex of 1·Cu²⁺ was determined to be (1.58 ± 0.03) × 10⁴ M⁻¹.     

A new pyrene-based fluorescent probe for the determination of critical micelle concentrations

A new pyrene-based fluorescent probe for the determination of critical micelle concentrations (CMC) is described. The title compound 1 is obtained in five steps, starting from pyrene. Fluorescence spectroscopic properties of 1 are studied in homogeneous organic solvents and aqueous micellar solutions. In a wide range of organic solvents, probe 1 exhibits a characteristic monomer emission of the pyrene fluorophore, with three distinct peak maxima at 382, 404, and 425 nm. The spectra change dramatically in aqueous solution, where no monomer emission of the pyrene fluorophore is detected. Instead, only strong excimer fluorescence with a broad, red-shifted emission band at lambda(max) = 465 nm is observed. In micellar aqueous solution, a superposition of the monomer and excimer emission is found. The appearance of the monomer emission in micellar solution can be explained on the basis of solubilization of 1 by the surfactant micelles. The ratio of the monomer to excimer fluorescence intensities of 1 is highly sensitive to changes in surfactant concentration. This renders 1 a versatile and sensitive probe molecule for studying the micellization of ionic and nonionic surfactants. For a representative selection of common surfactants, the critical micelle concentrations in aqueous solution are determined, showing excellent agreement with established literature data.     

Synchronous-scan fluorescence as a selective detection method for sodium dodecylbenzene-sulfonate and pyrene in environmental samples

Synchronous-scan fluorescence spectra of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid sodium salt (SDBS) and pyrene in aqueous solution were studied. The concentration ranges of SDBS and pyrene in aqueous solutions were 0.01-10.00 and 0.001-0.050 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The optimized wavelength differences (Δλ) of 46-55 and 38 nm were maintained between excitation and emission wavelengths for SDBS and pyrene, respectively, and they were found to be suitable for effective determination of SDBS and pyrene without mutual interferences; the peaks were observed at λ_ex 229-232 nm (SDBS) and λ_ex 335 nm (pyrene). Linear relationships between synchronous-scan fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) intensity and concentration of SDBS or pyrene in aqueous solution (Milli-Q water, river water, and mucus of fish gills) were established. It was demonstrated that SFS method was effective for simultaneous analyses of SDBS and pyrene in mixed solution.     

Unique photochemical behavior of novel tetracationic pyrene derivative on the clay surface

Novel tetracationic pyrene derivative (1,3,6,8-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)pyrene, Py⁴⁺) was synthesized. Photochemical properties such as fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime were observed for Py⁴⁺ and Py⁴⁺/clay complexes. Judging from Lambert-Beer plot analysis, Py⁴⁺ molecules adsorb on the clay surface without aggregation up to 69% versus cation exchange capacity of the clay. Py⁴⁺ molecule emits strong fluorescence from an excited state of monomer, while the emission from excimer was not detected, in spite of high density adsorption condition on the solid surface. It is supposed that strong interaction between host and guest by the ‘Size-Matching Effect’ inhibits the formation of excimer on the clay surface.     

Synthesis and micelle formation of triblock copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) in aqueous solution

Amphiphilic triblock copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-PEO-b-PMMA) with well-defined structure were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by the PEO macroinitiator. The macroinitiator and triblock copolymer with different PMMA and/or PEO block lengths were characterized with ¹H and ¹³C NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The micelle formed by these triblock copolymers in aqueous solutions was detected by fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of pyrene probe. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) ranged from 0.0019 to 0.016 mg/mL and increased with increasing PMMA block length, while the PEO block length had less effect on the CMC. The partition constant K_v for pyrene in the micelle and in aqueous solution was about 10⁵. The triblock copolymer appeared to form the micelles with hydrophobic PMMA core and hydrophilic PEO loop chain corona. The hydrodynamic radius R_h,app of the micelle measured with dynamic light scattering (DLS) ranged from 17.3 to 24.0 nm and increased with increasing PEO block length to form thicker corona. The spherical shape of the micelle of the triblock copolymers was observed with an atomic force microscope (AFM). Increasing hydrophobic PMMA block length effectively promoted the micelle formation in aqueous solutions, but the micelles were stable even only with short PMMA blocks.     

Fluorescent visualization of the conformational change of aromatic amide or urea induced by N-methylation

The conformational change of amide structure of benzanilide or urea structure of N,N′-diphenylurea induced by methylation of the secondary nitrogen was visualized by introduction of pyrene moieties on the benzene ring. In contrast to the extended trans-form of secondary amide and urea, which showed monomer fluorescence emission of pyrene, the corresponding N-methylated compounds exist in cis-form, which exhibited excimer emission.     

Fluorescent peptide-based sensors for the ratiometric detection of nanomolar concentration of heparin in aqueous solutions and in serum

New fluorescent peptide-based sensors (1–3) for monitoring heparin in serum sample were synthesized using short peptides (1∼3mer) as a receptor. The peptide-based sensors (2 and 3) showed a sensitive ratiometric response to heparin both in aqueous buffered solution (10 mM HEPES, pH 7.4) and in 2% human serum sample by increase of excimer emission of pyrene at 480 nm and concomitant decrease of monomer emission of pyrene at 376 nm, whereas the peptide-based sensor 1 showed a turn off response only by decrease of monomer emission at 376 nm. 2 and 3 exhibited excellent selectivity toward heparin among various anions and competitors of heparin including chondroitin 4-sulfate (ChS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). Peptide-based sensor 3 showed a more sensitive response to heparin than 2. The detection limit of 3 was determined as 36 pM (R² = 0.998) for heparin in aqueous solution and 204 pM (R² = 0.999) for heparin in aqueous solutions containing 2% human serum. The peptide-based sensors, 2 and 3 provided a practical and potential tool for the detection and quantification of heparin in real biological samples.     

A highly selective pyrene based fluorescent sensor toward Hg detection

A new pyrene-containing fluorescent sensor has been synthesized from 2,3,3-trimethylindolenine. Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of sensor are presented. The large change in fluorescence intensity (I/I₀ = 0.13) at 381 nm and affinity to Hg²⁺ over other cations such as K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cu²⁺ make this compound a useful chemosensor for Hg²⁺ detection in hydrophilic media. The sensor (6.0 × 10⁻⁶ M) displays significant fluorescence quenching upon addition of Hg²⁺ in pH 7.4 HEPES buffer without excimer formation. Job’s plot analysis shows the binding stoichiometry to be 2:1 (host/guest).     

NRET from naphthalene labels in multilayer shell wall on melamine formaldehyde microparticles fabricated with layer-by-layer self-assembly to pyrene-labeled polyelectrolyte in solution

Core-shell colloidal particles were prepared with the core of monodisperse melamine formaldehyde particles (MF) with a diameter of 3.5 μm. The shell deposited on the core by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly was made with a copolymer ANp3 of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate sodium (AMPS) and 3 mol% naphthalene label monomer and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PD). Nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) from the naphthalene labels deposited on the MF particles to pyrene labels at a polyelectrolyte APy3, a copolymer of AMPS and 3 mol% pyrene label monomer, or to an ionic pyrene probe 1-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride (PyMeA · HCl) in water was observed. The NRET efficiency was expressed as the emission intensity ratio I/I₀ of naphthalene with and without existence of pyrene in the surrounding solution. With increasing pyrene concentration, I/I₀ decreased down to about 0.2 and the mechanism for this NRET from the inner naphthalene label to the pyrene labels in solution is still ambiguous.     

Interactions between β-cyclodextrin and an amino acid-based anionic gemini surfactant derived from cysteine

The interaction between β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and an amino acid-based anionic gemini surfactant derived from cysteine (C₈Cys)₂ was studied by three independent techniques: electrical conductivity, UV–Vis spectral displacement technique using phenolphthalein as probe, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The data obtained indicated the formation of a 1:1 inclusion complex between β-CD and the gemini surfactant studied and allowed for the determination of the binding constant, K₁, by considering this stoichiometry. Electrical conductivity, spectral displacement technique, and NMR chemical shift measurements, obtained for aqueous β-CD–surfactant systems, yielded consistent K₁ values in the order of 10² dm³ mol^?1, typical of a weakly bound β-CD–surfactant complex. The influence of the presence of the inclusion complex on the micellization process of the gemini surfactant has also been studied and the apparent critical micelle concentration (cmc¹) has been obtained. Increasing β-CD concentration was found to shift the cmc¹ to higher values, as complexed surfactant monomers are not available to form micelles and aggregation takes place only when all β-CD cavities are occupied.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence. Effect of a magnetic field on the delayed fluorescence and ECL of several systems involving excimers or exciplexes

The use of magnetic field effects in delayed fluorescence (DF) and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) studies to obtain information about the involvement of triplet state species in reactions leading to the production of monomeric and dimeric (excimer or exciplex) excited states is described. In the room temperature DF of pyrene and 1,2-benzanthracene, identical field effects are observed for monomer and excimer emission, in agreement with a mechanism involving a common intermediate produced on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA), and different than previous DF results for 1,2-benzanthracene solutions at low temperatures. The ECL of the pyrene/N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) system also shows monomer and excimer emissions identically affected by magnetic field and in agreement with an ECL mechanism involving TTA. In the ECL of the S-methylanthracene (MA)/tri-p-tolylamine (TPTA) system, a field effect is observed for both the ¹MA^* and longer wavelength emission. In this case, however, a smaller effect is observed for the longer wavelength emission. A mechanism based on TTA to form ¹MA^* and some direct formation of exciplex on electron transfer is proposed.     

Fluorescent and Electrochemical Sensing of Polyphosphate Nucleotides by Ferrocene Functionalised with Two ZnII(TACN)(pyrene) Complexes

The [Fc? bis{Zn^II(TACN)(Py)}] complex, comprising two Zn^II(TACN) ligands (Fc=ferrocene; Py=pyrene; TACN=1,4,7‐triazacyclononane) bearing fluorescent pyrene chromophores linked by an electrochemically active ferrocene molecule has been synthesised in high yield through a multistep procedure. In the absence of the polyphosphate guest molecules, very weak excimer emission was observed, indicating that the two pyrene‐bearing Zn^II(TACN) units are arranged in a trans‐like configuration with respect to the ferrocene bridging unit. Binding of a variety of polyphosphate anionic guests (PPi and nucleotides di‐ and triphosphate) promotes the interaction between pyrene units and results in an enhancement in excimer emission. Investigations of phosphate binding by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence and electrochemical techniques confirmed a 1:1 stoichiometry for the binding of PPi and nucleotide polyphosphate anions to the bis(Zn^II(TACN)) moiety of [Fc? bis{Zn^II(TACN)(Py)}] and indicated that binding induces a trans to cis configuration rearrangement of the bis(Zn^II(TACN)) complexes that is responsible for the enhancement of the pyrene excimer emission. Pyrophosphate was concluded to have the strongest affinity to [Fc? bis{Zn^II(TACN)(Py)}] among the anions tested based on a six‐fold fluorescence enhancement and 0.1 V negative shift in the potential of the ferrocene/ferrocenium couple. The binding constant for a variety of polyphosphate anions was determined from the change in the intensity of pyrene excimer emission with polyphosphate concentration, measured at 475 nm in CH₃CN/Tris‐HCl (1:9) buffer solution (10.0 mM , pH 7.4). These measurements confirmed that pyrophosphate binds more strongly (K_b=(4.45±0.41)×10⁶ M ^?1) than the other nucleotide di‐ and triphosphates (K_b=1–50×10⁵ M ^?1) tested.     

Fluorescence of 1,3-Di(1-pyrenyl)propane probe incorporated into human serum albumin protein enforced conformations of the probe

 Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectra of 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)propane (1Py-(3)-1Py) incorporated into macromolecules of human serum albumin (HSA), into micelles of dodecyltrimethylammo-nium chloride (DTAC), and dissolved in 1,4-dioxane were compared. The steady-state fluorescence spectra indicated that in all the mentioned environments, upon excitation of 1Py-(3)-1Py, light was emitted from the single pyrene chromophores (1Py^*) and from the 1Py, 1Py^* excimers. The time-resolved fluo-rescence emission registered at 480 nm (excimer emission) for 1Py-(3)-1Py in the DTAC micelles and dissolved in 1,4-dioxane allowed to monitor formation of excimer with time constant τ₁=40.0 ns and 9.6 ns, for 1Py-(3)-1Py in the DTAC micelles and in 1,4-dioxane, respectively. However, when the 1Py-(3)-1Py probe was located inside of the macromolecules of HSA, only the decay of emission was observed for excimer with our set-up (t>2 ns after excitation). The instantaneous formation of excimer, unrelated to the decay of monomer excitation, indicates that the considerable fraction of 1Py-(3)-1Py in the hydrophobic pockets of HSA is present as the ground state dimer. The red shift (Δλ=8 nm) and broadening of UV absorption for 1Py-(3)-1Py in HSA (when compared with absorption 1Py-(3)-1Py in 1,4-dioxane) and comparison of exci-tation spectra of 1Py-(3)-1Py in HSA and in 1,4-dioxane also indicate that label molecules bound to some sites of HSA are in the ground state in the dimer conformation. Moreover, the close values of the ratios of intensities of monomer emission to excimer emission, registered 2 ns (5 ns gate) after excitation pulse with duration 300 ps and at the steady-state conditions, indicate that the interconversion between conformers of 1Py-(3)-1Py inside of the macro-molecules of HSA is slow in comparison with the decay time of Py chromophore in the excited state in HSA (two-exponential decay with decay times τ₁=2.41 ns, τ₂=69.0 ns). Thus, ratios of the intensities of monomer and excimer emissions of 1Py-(3)-1Py in HSA do not allow to obtain any information on the local microfluidity inside of the protein macromolecules but could be used for discrimination between different conformations of the probe, possibly located in different protein pockets. Received: 29 April 1996 Accepted: 15 August 1996     

Selective determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in water by a reversible fluorescence sensor using pyrene/dimethyl β-cyclodextrin complex

A bifurcated optical fiber chemical sensor for continuous monitoring of bisphenol A (BPA) has been proposed based on the fluorescence quenching (λ_ex/λ_em = 286/390 nm) of pyrene/dimethyl β-cyclodextrin (HDM-β-CD) supramolecular complex immobilized in a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane, in which pyrene served as a sensitive fluorescence indicator probe. The decrease of the fluorescence intensity of pyrene/HDM-β-CD complex upon the addition of BPA was attributed to the displacement of pyrene by BPA, which has been utilized as the basis of the fabrication of a BPA-sensitive fluorescence sensor. The response mechanism of the sensor was discussed in detail. The sensor exhibited a dynamic detection range from 7.90 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.66 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 7.00 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹, and showed excellent reproducibility, reversibility, selectivity, and lifetime. The proposed sensor was successfully used for the determination of BPA in water samples and landfill leachate.     

Study of the diffusion of pyrene in silicone polymer coatings by steady state fluorescence technique: effects of pyrene concentration

The concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient of pyrene in single component and two-component room temperature curing silicone polymer coatings is investigated by the steady state fluorescence technique by measuring the pyrene excimer fluorescence intensity. At pyrene concentrations lower than 10 mM, the intensity of excimer fluorescence is proportional to the concentration and at higher concentrations it deviates from this trend due to concentration quenching. Thermal aging studies show that this concentration quenching can be removed by thermal annealing and the excimer emission intensity approaches the value expected from the trend at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient of pyrene at low concentrations in silicone polymer coatings is obtained using the approximate solution of one-dimensional diffusion equation. A modified approach is employed to estimate the diffusion coefficient at higher pyrene concentrations. In this method, the excimer intensity and time scale are shifted, respectively to I_max the maximum value of excimer intensity attained during annealing and t_max, the time taken to reach this. The estimated diffusion coefficients at different pyrene concentrations show a negligible dependence on pyrene concentration in both types of polymers. These results are attributed to the high structural mobility of silicone polymer chains due to their molecular structure.