Harnessing the Flexibility of Peptidic Scaffolds to Control their Copper(II)‐Coordination Properties: A Potentiometric and Spectroscopic Study

Designing small peptides that are capable of binding Cu²⁺ ions mainly through the side‐chain functionalities is a hard task because the amide nitrogen atoms strongly compete for Cu²⁺ ion coordination. However, the design of such peptides is important for obtaining biomimetic small systems of metalloenyzmes as well as for the development of artificial systems. With this in mind, a cyclic decapeptide, C‐Asp, which contained three His residues and one Asp residue, and its linear derivative, O‐Asp, were synthesized. The C‐Asp peptide has two Pro? Gly β‐turn‐inducer units and, as a result of cyclization, and as shown by CD spectroscopy, its backbone is constrained into a more defined conformation than O‐Asp, which is linear and contains a single Pro? Gly unit. A detailed potentiometric, mass spectrometric, and spectroscopic study (UV/Vis, CD, and EPR spectroscopy) showed that at a 1:1 Cu²⁺/peptide ratio, both peptides formed a major [CuHL]²⁺ species in the pH range 5.0–7.5 (C‐Asp) and 5.5–7.0 (O‐Asp). The corrected stability constants of the protonated species (log K*_CuH(O?Asp)=9.28 and log K*_CuH(C?Asp)=10.79) indicate that the cyclic peptide binds Cu²⁺ ions with higher affinity. In addition, the calculated value of K_eff shows that this higher affinity for Cu²⁺ ions prevails at all pH values, not only for a 1:1 ratio but even for a 2:1 ratio. The spectroscopic data of both [CuHL]²⁺ species are consistent with the exclusive coordination of Cu²⁺ ions by the side‐chain functionalities of the three His residues and the Asp residue in a square‐planar or square‐pyramidal geometry. Nonetheless, although these data show that, upon metal coordination, both peptides adopt a similar fold, the larger conformational constraints that are present in the cyclic scaffold results in different behaviour for both [CuHL]²⁺ species. CD and NMR analysis revealed the formation of a more rigid structure and a slower Cu²⁺‐exchange rate for [CuH(C‐Asp)]²⁺ compared to [CuH(O‐Asp]²⁺. This detailed comparative study shows that cyclization has a remarkable effect on the Cu²⁺‐coordination properties of the C‐Asp peptide, which binds Cu²⁺ ions with higher affinity at all pH values, stabilizes the [CuHL]²⁺ species in a wider pH range, and has a slower Cu²⁺‐exchange rate compared to O‐Asp.     

Dissociation Kinetics of Open‐Chain and Macrocyclic Gadolinium(III)‐Aminopolycarboxylate Complexes Related to Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Catalytic Effect of Endogenous Ligands

The kinetics of the metal exchange reactions between open‐chain Gd(DTPA)^2? and Gd(DTPA‐BMA), macrocyclic Gd(DOTA)^? and Gd(HP‐DO3A) complexes, and Cu²⁺ ions were investigated in the presence of endogenous citrate, phosphate, carbonate and histidinate ligands in the pH range 6–8 in NaCl (0.15 M ) at 25 °C. The rates of the exchange reactions of Gd(DTPA)^2? and Gd(DTPA‐BMA) are independent of the Cu²⁺ concentration in the presence of citrate and the reactions occur via the dissociation of Gd³⁺ complexes catalyzed by the citrate ions. The HCO₃^?/CO₃^2? and H₂PO₄^? ions also catalyze the dissociation of complexes. The rates of the dissociation of Gd(DTPA‐BMA), catalyzed by the endogenous ligands, are about two orders of magnitude higher than those of the Gd(DTPA)^2?. In fact near to physiological conditions the bicarbonate and carbonate ions show the largest catalytic effect, that significantly increase the dissociation rate of Gd(DTPA‐BMA) and make the higher pH values (when the carbonate ion concentration is higher) a risk‐factor for the dissociation of complexes in body fluids. The exchange reactions of Gd(DOTA)^? and Gd(HP‐DO3A) with Cu²⁺ occur through the proton assisted dissociation of complexes in the pH range 3.5–5 and the endogenous ligands do not affect the dissociation rates of complexes. More insights into the interaction scheme between Gd(DTPA‐BMA) and Gd(DTPA)^2? and endogenous ligands have been obtained by acquiring the ¹³C NMR spectra of the corresponding diamagnetic Y(III)‐complexes, indicating the increase of the rates of the intramolecular rearrangements in the presence of carbonate and citrate ions. The herein reported results may have implications in the understanding of the etiology of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a rare disease that has been associated to the administration of Gd‐containing agents to patients with impaired renal function.     

Synthesis of imidazole‐terminated hyperbranched polymers with POSS‐branching points and their pH responsive and coordination properties

An imidazole‐terminated hyperbranched polymer with octafunctional POSS branching units denoted as POSS‐HYPAM‐Im was prepared by the polymerization of excess amounts of tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine with the first‐generation methyl ester‐terminated POSS‐core poly(amidoamine)‐typed dendrimer, reacting with methyl acrylate, and ester‐amide exchange reaction with 3‐aminopropylimidazole. The imidazole‐terminated hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) denoted as HYPAM‐Im was also synthesized with 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole from a methyl ester‐terminated hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) by the ester‐amide exchange reaction. The transmittance of the POSS‐HYPAM‐Im solution drastically decreased when the solution pH was greater than 8.2. On the other hand, the transmittance of the HYPAM‐Im solution gradually decreased when the solution pH at 8.5 and was greater than 9. Spectrophotometric titrations of the hyperbranched polymer aqueous solutions with Cu²⁺ ions indicated the variation of the coordination modes of POSS‐HYPAM‐Im from the Cu²⁺–N₄ complex to the Cu²⁺–N₂O₂ complex and the existence of the only one complexation mode of Cu²⁺–N₄ between Cu²⁺ ion and HYPAM‐Im with increasing the concentrations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2695–2701     

Selective and Sensitive Recognition of Cu2+ in an Aqueous Medium: A Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)‐Based Analysis with a Low‐Cost Raman Reporter

In the present study, surface‐enhanced Raman spectra of a bifunctional Raman reporter, 2‐mercaptobenzimidazole, has been found to be responsive exclusively towards Cu²⁺ ions while the reporter remains anchored on the Au nanoparticle surface. Thus a specific Cu²⁺‐ion‐detection protocol emerges. The simplicity, sensitivity, and reproducibility of the method allow routine and quantitative detection of Cu²⁺ ions. An interference study involving a wide number of other metal ions shows the procedure to be uniquely selective and analytically rigorous. A theoretical study was carried out to corroborate the experimental results. Finally, the method is promising for real‐time assessment of Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous samples and also has the ability to discriminate Cu^I and Cu^II ions in solution.     

Surface Modification of Gold by Quercetin Monolayer for the Electrochemical Determination of Copper(II)

A quercetin monolayer has been prepared on top of the self‐assembled 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) layer for the copper ion determination. Cu²⁺ ions are readily accumulated on this modified electrode through the complex formation and electrochemically detected. With a quercetin layer, the redox process of Cu²⁺ became more reversible than at the MPA‐modified electrode. Complexation sites in MPA and quercetin were occupied within five min when the electrode was immersed in 10 μM Cu²⁺ solution. The MPA and quercetin layers were stable enough to allow repeated EDTA treatment to remove adsorbed Cu²⁺ for the surface regeneration. Only 7% decrease was found after ten times regeneration and use. Linear current response was found over the concentration range of 1 nM and 10 μM with detection limit of 0.1 nM. Common interfering ions such as Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Fe^2+/3+ did not show any electrochemical response in the potential range of Cu²⁺ determination.     

Rational Construction of Polymeric Cadmium(II) Benzimidazole for Transition Metal Ion Exchange

A 1D double‐helical coordination polymer {[Cd(pbbm)₂]₂(ClO₄)₄(H₂O)₂}_n ( 1 ) was successfully constructed by the reaction of Cd(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O with 1,1′‐(1,5‐pentanediyl)bis‐1H‐benzimidazole (pbbm). Interestingly, polymer 1 exhibits highly selective capacity for the ionic exchange of Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ over Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions in the crystalline solid state when the crystals of 1 are immersed in the aqueous solutions of the perchlorate salts of Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions, respectively, which indicates that central Cd^II ion exchange might be considered as being dominated by the coordination ability of metal ions to free functional groups, ionic radii of exchanged metal ions, and the solution concentration of adsorbed metal salts. The parent material‐ and ion‐exchange‐induced products are identified by FT‐IR spectroscopy, PXRD patterns as well as SEM and EDS measurements. In addition, the thermal stability of 1 was also investigated.     

Amphiphilic Schiff Base Organogels: Metal‐Ion‐Mediated Chiral Twists and Chiral Recognition

New amphiphilic gelators that contained both Schiff base and L ‐glutamide moieties, abbreviated as o‐SLG and p‐SLG, were synthesized and their self‐assembly in various organic solvents in the absence and presence of metal ions was investigated. Gelation test revealed that o‐SLG formed a thermotropic gel in many organic solvents, whilst p‐SLG did not. When metal ions, such as Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, were added, different behaviors were observed. The addition of Cu²⁺ induced p‐SLG to from an organogel. In the case of o‐SLG, the addition of Cu²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions maintained the gelating ability of the compound, whilst Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions destroyed the gel. In addition, the introduction of Cu²⁺ ions caused the nanofiber gel to perform a chiral twist, whilst the Mg²⁺ ions enhanced the fluorescence of the gel. More interestingly, the Mg²⁺‐ion‐mediated organogel showed differences in the fluorescence quenching by D ‐ and L ‐tartaric acid, thus showing a chiral recognition ability.     

Synthesis of multidentate functional monomer for ion imprinting

In this work, N,N,N‐tri(2‐carboxyethyl)‐3‐(2‐aminoethylamino)propyl‐trimethoxysilane was prepared as a multidentate functional monomer. The 3D model of the monomer coordinating with Cu²⁺ indicated that the monomer is able to provide five ligating atoms like ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid‐Cu²⁺ to complex with Cu²⁺. When Cu²⁺ was used as a template ion, the synthesis conditions of Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymers were optimized upon orthogonal design. It is interesting to find that Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymer offers a selectivity coefficient of 192.2 when the molar ratio of Cu²⁺ to monomer was exactly 1:1. That means there is no excess ligating atom in the ion‐imprinted polymer and therefore, the nonspecific adsorption could be avoided. Benefiting from the excellent selectivity of Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymer, even if the concentration of Zn²⁺ was 25 times that of Cu²⁺, Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymer still affords a high selectivity coefficient. Finally, the optimal synthesis conditions for Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymer, except the pH, were adopted to prepare Ni²⁺‐imprinted polymer, and Ni²⁺‐imprinted polymer also offered satisfying selectivity to Ni²⁺. That implies this multidentate monomer is adaptable in ion imprinting and, the optimal synthesis conditions of Cu²⁺‐imprinted polymer except pH are likely suitable for the imprinting of other ions besides Cu²⁺.     

Synthetic functionalized terpolymeric resin for the removal of hazardous metal ions: synthesis,characterization and batch separation analysis

An effectual functionalized synthetic resin involving anthranilic acid/4‐nitroaniline/formaldehyde was synthesized for the detoxification of hazardous metal ions. The resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H, and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and its morphology was established through scanning electron microscope and X‐ray diffraction. The resin was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis to assess the thermal stability, in which the resin could be used in high temperature aqueous solutions for the elimination of harmful metal ions. The ion‐exchange property of the resin was evaluated by batch technique for specific metal ions viz. Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pb²⁺. The study was extended to three variations such as effect of metal ion uptake in the presence of various electrolytes in different concentrations, effect of pH, and effect of contact time. The outcome proved that the resin can be used as a strong cation‐exchanger to remove various metal ions from the solutions. The resin could be regenerated and reused with quantitative recovery of metal ions for few cycles. On comparison with the earlier reported resins, the synthesized resin has found excellent capability of metal ion recovery. The resin possesses an utmost ion‐exchange capacity, which is in good harmony with isotherm models and kinetics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly Efficient and Selective Membrane Transport of Silver(I) Using Dibenzodiaza‐15‐Crown‐4 as a Selective Ion Carrier

A chloroform membrane system containing dibenzodiaza‐15‐crown‐4 was found to be a highly efficient and selective transport of Ag⁺ ions through a chloroform liquid membrane. In the presence of thiosulfate ion as a suitable ion stripping agent in the receiving phase, the amount of silver transported across the liquid membrane after 105 minis 95 ± 1.3%. The selectivity of Ag⁺transport from aqueous solutions containing Tl⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺was investigated. The interfering effect of Cu²⁺ ions was drastically diminished in the presence of EDTA as a proper masking agent in the source phase.     

Molecular Simulations of Human and Mouse Aβ1–16 at Different pH Values: Structural Characteristics toward Understanding Cu2+‐Coordinated Amyloid Beta Spheres

As the main sequence responsible for metal ion coordination in the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide, Aβ_1–16 plays a key role in the understanding of the aggregation of Aβ induced by Cu²⁺ ions. There is no consensus on the nature of the coordination sphere of the Cu²⁺–Aβ complex so far due to the amorphous conformation of the Aβ_1–16 peptide itself and the pH dependence of Cu²⁺–Aβ coordination. The simulation reported here reveals that human Aβ_1–16 monomer has a U‐shape morphology, which is preserved at any pH. This morphology accommodates Cu²⁺ ions with several binding sites and is also the basis for establishing a center‐distance statistical method (CDSM). Based on this CDSM, specific histidine residues for a Cu²⁺‐coordinated sphere are identified and the corresponding accurate pH range is established, indicating that the CDSM can be used as a reference to predict the potential coordination sites of metal ions in other amorphous peptides. By contrast, mouse Aβ_1–16 monomer has a more open and random morphology than human Aβ_1–16 due to the differences of three sequence positions. These mutations not only reduce the number of binding sites required by a stable Cu²⁺‐binding sphere but also diminish the capacity to generate salt bridges compared to the human peptide. These observations offer insights into the roles of three residues that differ in the mouse Aβ_1–16 and perhaps into the reasons mice seldom develop Alzheimer's disease.     

Simultaneous Determination of Nickel(II) and Copper(II) by Second‐Derivative Spectrophotometric Method in Micellar Media

A second‐derivative spectrophotometric method based on zero‐crossing over technique is developed in simultaneous determination of copper(II) and nickel(II) ions. Methylthymol blue (MTB) as a chromogenic reagent and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a surfactant were used, and measurements were carried out in buffered solution at pH 6 and at a temperature of 25 °C. The amplitude of derivative spectra was measured at wavelengths of 631.9 and 587.7 nm for the simultaneous determination of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺, respectively. Linearity was obtained in the range of 0.5–5.0 μg mL^?1 for both ions in the presence of 0.0–5.0 μg mL^?1 of the other ion as an interfering ion. IUPAC detection limits for Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions were obtained at 0.48 and 0.43 μg mL^?1, respectively. The proposed procedure has been applied successfully for the simultaneous determination of copper and nickel in synthetic binary mixtures and real samples.     

Copper and Nickel Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using New Chelating Poly[Acrylamide/N‐vinyl pyrrolidone/3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl carbamoyl)acrylic acid] Hydrogels

New poly[Acrylamide/N‐vinyl pyrrolidone/3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl carbamoyl)acrylic acid], poly [AAm/NVP/HECA], chelating hydrogels with different composition of HECA monomer have been prepared via free radical solution polymerization using N,N‐methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker. The hydrogels obtained were loaded with metal ions and characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Thermogravimatric analysis (TGA). The removal of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ from aqueous solutions by the hydrogel was examined by a batch equilibrium method. The influence of treatment time, pH, initial concentration of the metal ions and HECA content in the feed compositions on the amount of adsorbed metal ions was studied. Swelling of the hydrogel was also carried out in distilled water and metal ion solutions. The removal of the metal ions followed the following order: Ni²⁺>Cu²⁺. The amount of metal ions removed increased with increasing HECA content in the feed composition, treatment time, pH of the medium and initial concentration of metal ions. The desorption of metal ions were carried out using 1 N HCl and 0.5 N H₂SO₄. The poly[AAm/NVP/HECA] hydrogels could be used many times without significantly decreasing their adsorption capacity.     

Ion‐Selective Electrodes Based on Hydrophilic Ionophore‐Modified Nanopores

We report the synthesis and analytical application of the first Cu²⁺‐selective synthetic ion channel based on peptide‐modified gold nanopores. A Cu²⁺‐binding peptide motif (Gly‐Gly‐His) along with two additional functional thiol derivatives inferring cation‐permselectivity and hydrophobicity was self‐assembled on the surface of gold nanoporous membranes comprising of about 5 nm diameter pores. These membranes were used to construct ion‐selective electrodes (ISEs) with extraordinary Cu²⁺ selectivities, approaching six orders of magnitude over certain ions. Since all constituents are immobilized to a supporting nanoporous membrane, their leaching, that is a ubiquitous problem of conventional ionophore‐based ISEs was effectively suppressed.     

Novel Fe3O4/hydroxyapatite/β‐cyclodextrin nanocomposite adsorbent: Synthesis and application in heavy metal removal from aqueous solution

The increased global concern on environmental protection has made researchers focus their attention on new and more efficient methods of pollutant removal. In this research, novel nanocomposite adsorbents,i.e., magnetic hydroxyapatite (Fe₃O₄@HA) and magnetic hydroxyapatite β‐cyclodextrin (Fe₃O₄@HA‐CD) were synthesized and used for heavy metal removal. The adsorbents were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA, VSM, and SEM. In order to investigate the effect of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) removal efficiency, adsorption results of nine metal ions were compared for both adsorbents. β‐CD showed the most increasing effect for Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ removal, so these two ions were selected for further studies. The effect of diverse parameters including pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption process was discussed. The optimum pH was 6 and adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 1 hr. Adsorption kinetic data were well fitted by pseudo‐second‐order model proposing that metal ions were adsorbed via chemical reaction. Adsorption isotherm was best described by the Langmuir model, and maximum adsorption capacity for Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ was 100.00 and 66.66 (mg/g), respectively. Desorption experiment was also done, and the most efficient eluent used for desorption of metal ions was EDTA (0.001 M) with 91% and 88% of Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ release, respectively. Recyclability studies also showed a 19% decrease in the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent after five cycles of regeneration. Therefore, the synthesized adsorbents were recognized as potential candidates for heavy metal adsorption applications.     

Temperature‐induced self‐assembly and metal‐ion stabilization of histidine functional block copolymers

Histidine functional block copolymers are thermally self‐assembled into polymer micelles with poly‐N‐isopropylacrylamide in the core and the histidine functionality in the corona. The thermally induced self‐assemblies are reversible until treated with Cu²⁺ ions at 50 °C. Upon treatment with 0.5 equivalents of Cu²⁺ relative to the histidine moieties, metal‐ion coordination locks the self‐assemblies. The self‐assembly behavior of histidine functional block copolymers is explored at different values of pH using DLS and ¹H NMR. Metal‐ion coordination locking of the histidine functional micelles is also explored at different pH values, with stable micelles forming at pH 9, observed by DLS and imaged by atomic force microscopy. The thermal self‐assembly of glycine functional block copolymers at pH 5, 7, and 9 is similar to the histidine functional materials; however, the self‐assemblies do not become stable after the addition of Cu²⁺, indicating that the imidazole plays a crucial role in metal‐ion coordination that locks the micelles. The reversibility of the histidine‐copper complex locking mechanism is demonstrated by the addition of acid to protonate the imidazole and destabilize the polymer self‐assemblies. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1964–1973     

改性PTFE纤维金属配合物的制备及其光催化降解性能

使用聚丙烯酸接枝改性聚四氟乙烯(PAA-g-PTFE)纤维分别与Fe³⁺及其与Cu²⁺的混合物反应制备改性PTFE纤维铁和铁铜双金属配合物, 并分别使用傅里变换叶红外(FTIR)光谱和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱(DRS)对两种配合物的化学结构和光吸收性能进行表征. 然后将两种配合物分别作为非均相光Fenton 反应催化剂应用于典型偶氮染料活性蓝222氧化降解反应中, 考察和比较了二者在不同pH介质中对降解反应的催化作用. 结果表明, 在有或无Cu²⁺的存在条件下, 一个Fe³⁺能够与三个PAA-g-PTFE表面的6个羧基发生反应形成配合物, 并且它们在紫外和可见光区表现出好的光吸收特性. 当两种金属离子共存时Cu²⁺比Fe³⁺更容易与PAA-g-PTFE发生配位反应形成铁铜双金属配合物. 在可见光辐射下PAA-g-PTFE铁配合物对不同pH水溶液中染料降解反应均表现出显著的催化作用, 但是溶液pH的升高不利于配合物催化活性的发挥. 而配合物中铁离子含量提高特别是引入Cu²⁺作为助金属离子能够较大幅度地改善其在高pH范围内的催化活性和重复利用性.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study of the effect of pH on anion and cation adsorption onto poly(acrylo‐amidino diethylenediamine)

The role of hydrogen bonding in the chemistry of transition‐metal complexes remains a topic of intense scientific and technological interest. Poly(acrylo‐amidino diethylenediamine) was synthesized to study the effects of hydrogen bonding on complexes at different pHs. The polymer was synthesized through the coupling of diethylene triamine with polyacrylonitrile fiber in the presence of AlCl₃ · 6H₂O addition. The adsorption capacity of this polymer was 11.4 mequiv/g. The ions used for the adsorption test were CrO, PO, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Ag⁺. All experiments were confirmed with Fourier transform infrared. In the study of anion adsorption, at low pHs, only ionic bonds existed, whereas at high pHs, no bonds existed. However, in the middle pH region, both ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds formed between poly(acrylo‐amidino diethylenediamine) and the chromate ion or phosphate ion. When poly(acrylo‐amidino diethylenediamine) and metal ions (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Ag⁺) formed complexes, a hydrogen‐bonding effect was not observed with Fourier transform infrared. The quantity of metal ions adsorbed onto poly(acrylo‐amidino diethylenediamine) followed the order Ag⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Fe²⁺ > Ni²⁺. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2010–2018, 2004     

Sequential detection of Cu2+ and cysteine using an imidazole‐based chemosensor in aqueous solution

A highly substituted imidazole‐based colorimetric and fluorogenic chemosensor, 2‐methoxy‐4‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)phenol (L), for the detection of Cu²⁺ ion and subsequent colorimetric detection of an amino acid, cysteine, was investigated. L exhibited a distinct color change from colorless to red in the presence of Cu²⁺ in an aqueous medium. The L‐Cu²⁺ complex can also be used to detect cysteine by the naked eye over a series of amino acids. The receptor L behaves as a highly selective colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for Cu²⁺ ions at concentrations as low as 4.33 and 2.25 μM, respectively. These values are much less compared to the WHO recommended limit of 30 μM for Cu²⁺ in drinking water. From Job's plot and the ESI‐MS spectrum, a 1:1 stoichiometric complex between L and Cu²⁺ ions can readily be reckoned. This binding was also substantiated by the EPR spectrum and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Additionally, the binding of L with Cu²⁺ ions was also manifested in the detection of B16F10 cells. This was substantiated through fluorescence microscopy. The spectrum of the L‐Cu²⁺ entity was also attempted to reproduce theoretically. The probable structure of this was also propounded through Density Functional Theory.     

Reversible Self‐Assembly of Carboxylated Peptide‐Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles Driven by Metal‐Ion Coordination

Carboxylated peptide‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (peptide‐GNPs) self‐assemble into two‐ and three‐dimensional nanostructures in the presence of various heavy metal ions (i.e. Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺) in aqueous solution. The assembly process is monitored by following the changes in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of gold nanoparticles in a UV/Vis spectrophotometer, which shows the development of a new SPR band in the higher‐wavelength region. The extent of assembly is dependent on the amount of metal ions present in the medium and also the time of assembly. TEM analysis clearly shows formation of two‐ and three‐dimensional nanostructures. The assembly process is completely reversible by addition of alkaline ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution. The driving force for the assembly of peptide‐GNPs is mainly metal ion/carboxylate coordination. The color and spectral changes due to this assembly can be used for detection of these heavy‐metal ions in solution.