Ratiometric and turn-on monitoring for heavy and transition metal ions in aqueous solution with a fluorescent peptide sensor

A novel fluorescent peptide sensor containing tryptophan (donor) and dansyl fluorophore (acceptor) was synthesized for monitoring heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions on the basis of metal ion binding motif (Cys-X-X-X-Cys). The peptide probe successfully exhibited a turn on and ratiometric response for several heavy metal ions such as Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ag⁺ in aqueous solution. The enhancements of emission intensity were achieved in the presence of the HTM ions by fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) and chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effects. The detection limits of the sensor for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ag⁺ were lower than the EPA's drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCL). We described the fluorescent enhancement, binding affinity, and detection limit of the peptide probe for HTM ions.