p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone: a simple novel selective and sensitive fluorescent sensor for mercury(II) in aqueous solution

A novel and simple fluorophore, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (DMABTS), was prepared in order to find available fluorescent chemosensor for mercuric ion in aquesous solution. DMABTS emitted fluorescence at 448 nm in aqueous solution and its fluorescence intensity was completely quenched upon interaction with Hg²⁺ ions, which should be attributed to the 1:1 complex formation between DMABTS and Hg²⁺. The binding constant of the complex was determined as 7.48 × 10⁶ mol l⁻¹. The linear range of quantitative detection of 0 to 5.77 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ and the detection limit of 7.7 × 10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ for Hg²⁺ in the 6.3 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ DMABTS aqueous solution were obtained from a calibration curve. The coexistence of several transition metal ions and anions did interfere the fluorometric titration of Hg²⁺ ion by less than 4% in the emission change.     

Determination of noradrenaline and dopamine in pharmaceutical injection samples by inhibition flow injection electrochemiluminescence of ruthenium complexes

Two maximal potential-resolved flow injection-electrochemiluminescent (FI-ECL) peaks were observed for Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA system at 0.90 and 1.05 V, and for Ru(phen)₃²⁺/TPrA at 1.01 and 1.25 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in pH 8.0 phosphate buffer solutions. Sensitive ECL inhibition effects were observed in the presence of noradrenaline and dopamine for both of these systems. Therefore, an FI-ECL inhibition method for determination of noradrenaline and dopamine has been developed. Under optimal conditions, linear responses between logarithm of ECL intensity changes and logarithm of sample concentration were found for noradrenaline in the linear range (LR) of 4×10⁻⁸-1×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with theoretical detection limit (DL) of 2.5×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ for Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA system, and in LR of 2×10⁻⁸-2×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with DL of 7.1×10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹ for Ru(phen)₃²⁺/TPrA system; and for dopamine in LR of 8×10⁻⁸-2×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with DL of 5.2×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ for Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA system, in LR of 4×10⁻⁸-2×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with DL of 1.5×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ for Ru(phen)₃²⁺/TPrA system. It was applied for determination of commercial pharmaceutical injection samples with satisfied results. The mechanism of the inhibition effects was proposed in the preliminary way.     

Post-column terbium complexation and sensitized fluorescence detection for the determination of norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine using high-performance liquid chromatography

Terbium sensitized fluorescence was used as a post-column detection system to develop a simple, sensitive and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of catecholamines norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA).Catecholamines were separated by an ion-pair reversed-phase chromatography on a BDS-Hypersil analytical column with a mobile phase of methanol and 50 mmol l⁻¹ acetate buffer (pH 4.7) containing 1.1 mmol l⁻¹ SOS and 0.11 mmol l⁻¹ EDTA (15+85 v/v).Catecholamines and the internal standard (3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine, DHBA) were post-column derivatized by the addition to the eluent of an alkaline solution containing a stoichiometric mixture of terbium(III) chloride and EDTA. Fluorescence detection (λ_ex=300 nm, λ_em=545 nm) is based on the sensitization of terbium ion fluorescence after complexation with catecholamines.The chemical compatibility between the eluent and the post-column reagent was studied and the analytical characteristics of the method were established. Detection limits found were 1.0×10⁻⁸, 4.0×10⁻⁸ and 7.0×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ for NE, E and DA, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of catecholamines in urine samples after solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment. Recoveries from urine spiked with NE (4.0×10⁻⁷, 2.0×10⁻⁶ and 4.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹), E (8.2×10⁻⁸, 4.1×10⁻⁷ and 8.2×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹) and DA (1.0×10⁻⁶, 5.0×10⁻⁶ and 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹) varied from 98 to 100% (mean=99.3%), from 106 to 107% (mean=106.3%) and from 98 to 101% (mean=99.3%), respectively. The between-run precision (relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) for the method for three urine samples at different concentration levels of each catecholamine varied from 3.6 to 7.0%.     

Flow-injection chemiluminescence determination of fluoroquinolones by enhancement of weak chemiluminescence from peroxynitrous acid

A flow-injection chemiluminescence (CL) method is described for the determination of fluoroquinolones including ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin. The method is based on the enhancement by these compounds of the weak CL from peroxynitrous acid. The linear ranges are 1.0×10⁻⁷ to 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ for ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, and 3.0×10⁻⁷ to 3.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ for ofloxacin, respectively. The detection limits (S/N=3) are 4.5×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ ciprofloxacin, 5.9×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ norfloxacin and 1.1×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ ofloxacin, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of fluoroquinolones in pharmaceutical preparations.     

An rhodamine-based fluorescence probe for iron(III) ion determination in aqueous solution

An “off-on” rhodamine-based fluorescence probe for the selective signaling of Fe(III) has been designed exploiting the guest-induced structure transform mechanism. This system shows a sharp Fe(III)-selective fluorescence enhancement response in 100% aqueous system under physiological pH value and possesses high selectivity against the background of environmentally and biologically relevant metal ions including Al(III), Cd(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Mg(II), Ba(II), Pb(II), Na(I), and K(I). Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity enhancement of this system is linearly proportional to Fe(III) concentration from 6.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 7.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.4 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹.     

Flow-injection investigation of the chemiluminescent reaction of bis(2,4,6-(trichlorophenyl)oxalate) with free chlorine

This work investigated the chemiluminescent reaction of free chlorine with bis(2,4,6-(trichlorophenyl)oxalate) (TCPO) in the presence of 9,10-diphenylanthracene in acetonitrile/water medium, with analytical application for free chlorine in tap water. In the absence of free chlorine, the background signal increased with the pH and the chemiluminescence emission showed strong dependence with the sample acidity. A flow injection analysis system, for free chlorine determination, was developed. The linear range for free chlorine was (0.2-3.0)×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. Chloramine 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ and chlorite 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ also enhanced the chemiluminescence intensity.     

Synchronous fluorescence measurement of enrofloxacin in the pharmaceutical formulation and its residue in milks based on the yttrium (III)-perturbed luminescence

A simple, rapid and sensitive synchronous fluorescence method is put forward for the determination of enrofloxacin (ENRO) in the pharmaceutical formulation and its residue in milk based on the yttrium (III)-perturbed luminescence. When Y³⁺ is added into the ENRO solution, the fluorescence of ENRO is significantly enhanced. The synchronous fluorescence technology is employed in the method to determine trace amount of ENRO residue in milks. The synchronous fluorescence intensity of the system is measured in a 1-cm quartz cell with excitation wavelength of 328 nm, Δλ = 80 nm. A good linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the ENRO concentration is obtained in the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ to 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ (r² = 0.9992). The limit of detection (LOD) of this method attains as low as 3.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The selectivity of this method is also very good. Common metal ions, rare-earth ions and some pharmaceuticals, which are usually used together with ENRO, do not interfere with the determination of ENRO under the actual conditions. The proposed method can be applied to determine ENRO residue in milks, and limit of quantification (LOQ) determined in the spiked milk is estimated to be 2.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (10 μg L⁻¹). Moreover, this method can be used as a rapid screening for judging whether the ENRO residues in milks exceed Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) or not. In addition, the mechanism of the fluorescence enhancement is also discussed in detail.     

A new resonance scattering spectral method for the determination of trace amounts of iodate with rhodamine 6G

Under the conditions of 0.04 mol L⁻¹ HCl-8.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ KI, there is a fluorescence peak at 540 nm and a synchronous fluorescence peak at 540 nm for rhodamine 6G (RhG). When there is IO₃⁻, it reacts with exceed I⁻ to form I₃⁻. And I₃⁻ and RhG combine into ion association particles. The particles exhibit three resonance scattering peaks at 320, 400 and 595 nm. And there is fluorescence quenching at 540 nm. Iodine concentration is proportional to the intensity of the resonance scattering intensity at 400 nm in the range of 1.0-20 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. And a new resonance scattering spectral (RSS) method has been described for the determination of IO₃⁻ in salt samples. The spectral results have been verified that the formation of (RhG-I₃)_n association particles and solid-liquid interfaces are the main factor that cause the fluorescence quenching and resonance scattering effects.     

Study on the new fluorescence enhancement system of Tb-1,10-bis(2′-carboxylphenyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraoxadecane in silver chloride collosol and its analytical application

A new salicylic-based open-chain crown ether ligand, 1,10-bis(2′-carboxylphenyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraoxadecane (BCPTD) was synthesized. Solutions of its complex with Tb³⁺ can emit the intrinsic fluorescence of Tb³⁺. The fluorescence intensity of the complex in KCl solution was enhanced by the addition of silver(I), leading to a new fluorescence enhancement phenomenon. The spectrofluorimetric determination of traces of silver(I) based on the above phenomenon was carried out. The excitation and emission wavelengths are 298 and 545 nm, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the differential value of fluorescence intensity in the absence and presence of Ag⁺ was proportional to the concentration of silver(I) in the range 0.5-20 μg ml⁻¹. The method was applied to the determination of silver(I) in a standard ore sample. The analytical performance is investigated in detail by using common aromatic carboxylic acids or synthetic analogues of BCPTD as ligands to replace BCPTD. It was found that Tb-aromatic acid complexes did not result in fluorescence enhancement of Tb³⁺ in AgCl collosol. The phenomenon was only observed in Tb(III) with BCPTD or its open-chain crown ether analogues solutions.In addition, the enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of terbium(III) in these complexes depends on the extent of formation of the AgCl collosol.     

Optical sensor for berberine utilizing its intrinsic fluorescence enhanced by the formation of inclusion complex with butylated-β-cyclodextrin

An optical sensor for berberine, the basic ingredient of the widely used traditional Chinese medicine Coptis Chinensis, based on its intrinsic fluorescence enhanced by butylated-β-cyclodextrin (HDB-β-CD) immobilized in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane has been developed. The drastic enhancement of fluorescence intensity of berberine was attributed to the formation of an inclusion complex between HDB-β-CD and berberine, which has been utilized as the basis of the fabrication of a berberine-sensitive fluorescence sensor. The proposed sensor was quite distinct from those fluorescent sensors for berberine reported so far which relied upon quenching the fluorescence of the sensing reagent immobilized on membrane by berberine. The response mechanism of optode membrane was discussed in detail from the view of molecular dynamics and the optimum steric configuration of the inclusion complex was presented by molecular dynamics simulation. The analytical performance characteristics of the proposed berberine-sensitive sensor were investigated. The sensor can be applied to the quantification of berberine with a linear range covering from 4.0×10⁻⁷ to 2.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹ with a detection limit of 8.0×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹. The sensor exhibits excellent reproducibility, reversibility and selectivity. The recommended method was successfully used for the determination of berberine in pharmaceutical preparations.     

One-step synthesis and applications of fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized by l-cysteine in aqueous solution

Herein, an innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high fluorescent Cu nanoclusters was successfully established while l-cysteine played a role as the stabilizer. Meaningfully, the current Cu nanoclusters together with a quantum yield of 14.3% were prepared in aqueous solution, indicating their extensive applications. Subsequently, the possible fluorescence mechanism was elucidated by fluorescence, UV–vis, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, and MS. Additionally, the CuNCs were employed for assaying Hg²⁺ on the basis of the interactions between Hg²⁺ and l-cysteine; thus facilitating the quenching of their fluorescence. The proposed analytical strategy permitted detections of Hg²⁺ in a linear range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 2.4 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Significantly, this CuNCs described here were further applied for coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting may broaden avenues toward diverse applications.     

Flow-injection chemiluminescence determination of chloroquine using peroxynitrous acid as oxidant

A new flow-injection chemiluminescence (CL) method for determination of chloroquine is proposed based on a stronger chemiluminescence of chloroquine in hydrogen peroxide-nitrite-sulfuric acid medium. The proposed method allows the measurement of chloroquine over the range of 3.0×10⁻⁷ to 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The detection limit is 8.6×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹, and the relative standard deviation for 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ chloroquine (n=11) is 1.6%. The CL mechanism is also discussed.     

Voltammetric determination of food colorants using a polyallylamine modified tubular electrode in a multicommutated flow system

This work describes the construction of a polyallylamine modified tubular glassy carbon electrode and its application in the electroreduction of food azo colorants (tartrazine, sunset yellow and allura red) by square wave voltammetry. The electrode modification prevented the surface fouling and, simultaneously, enhanced the analytical signal intensity. The developed unit was coupled to a multicommutated flow system which, given the complexity of samples, was designed to allow the implementation of the standard additions method in an automatic way, using only one standard solution.The described method presented a linear range up to about 2.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹ for the referred colorants, with a detection limit of 1.8 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ for tartrazine, 3.5 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ for sunset yellow and 1.4 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ for allura red. The method was applied in the analysis of these colorants in several food samples, and no statistically significant difference between the results obtained by the proposed and the comparative method (HPLC) was found, at a 95% confidence level. Repeatability in the analysis of samples (expressed in R.S.D.) was about 3% (n = 10).     

Novel potentiometric copper (II) selective membrane sensors based on cyclic tetrapeptide derivatives as neutral ionophores

Two novel membrane sensors sensitive and reasonably selective for Cu²⁺ ions are described. These are based on the use of newly synthesized cyclic tetrapeptide derivatives as neutral ionophores and sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as an anionic excluder in plasticized PVC membranes. The sensors exhibit fast and stable near-Nernstian response over the concentration range 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ to 1.0 × 10⁻² mol l⁻¹ Cu²⁺ with a cationic slope of 30.2-25.9 mV per decade at pH 4.5-7 with a lower detection limit of 0.05-0.13 μg ml⁻¹. Effects of plasticizers, lipophilic salts and various foreign common ions are tested. The sensors display long life-span, long term stability, high reproducibility, and short response time. Selectivity of both sensors is significantly high for Cu²⁺ over Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, alkaline earth and alkali metal ions. The sensors are used for direct measurement of copper content in different rocks and industrial wastewater samples from electroplating factories. The results agree fairly well with data obtained using atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Study of the influence of silver nanoparticles on the second-order scattering and the fluorescence of the complexes of Tb(III) with quinolones and determination of the quinolones

Quinolones (Qs) can form the complex with Tb(III) ion, and the intramolecular energy transfer from Qs to Tb(III) takes place when excited. And thus the characteristic fluorescence of Tb(III) ion was enhanced and the maximum fluorescence peak locates at 545 nm. The second-order scattering (SOS) peak at 545 nm also appears for the Tb(III)-Qs complexes with the exciting wavelength of 274 nm. When the silver nanoparticles were added to the Tb(III)-Qs system, the luminescence intensity at 545 nm greatly increased. And the relative intensity is proportional to the amount of Qs. Based on this phenomenon, a novel method for determination of quinolones has been developed by using a common spectrofluorometer to measure the intensity of fluorescence and SOS. The luminescence intensity is greatly enhanced by silver nanoparticles in the pH range 5.5-6.2. The calibration graphs for pipemidic acid (PPA) and lomefloxacin (LMFX) are linear in the range 2.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹, respectively. The limits of detection are 4.7 × 10⁻¹¹ mol L⁻¹ for PPA and 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ for LMFX. The method was applied satisfactorily to the determination of the two quinolones (Qs) in tablet, capsule, urine and serum samples. The experimental results showed that it is the certain size and certain concentration of silver nanoparticles that can greatly enhance the fluorescence -SOS intensity.     

An optical sensor for mercury ion based on the fluorescence quenching of tetra(p-dimethylaminophenyl)porphyrin

An optical sensor for mercury ion (Hg²⁺), based on quenching the fluorescence of the sensing reagent porphyrin immobilized in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane, has been developed. The responses to mercury ion were compared for the sensors modified with three porphyrin compounds including 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP), tetra(p-dimethylaminophenyl)porphyrin (TDMAPP) and tetra(N-phenylpyrazole) porphyrin (TPPP). Among them, TDMAPP showed the most remarkable response to Hg²⁺. The drastic decrease of the TDMAPP fluorescence intensity was attributed to the formation of a complex between TDMAPP and Hg²⁺, which has been utilized as the fabrication basis of a Hg²⁺-sensitive fluorescence sensor. The analytical performance characteristics of the TDMAPP modified sensor was investigated. The response mechanism, especially involving the response difference of three porphyrin compounds, was discussed in detail. The sensor can be applied to the quantification of Hg²⁺ with a linear range covering from 4.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ to 4.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. The limit of detection was 8.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The sensor exhibited excellent reproducibility, reversibility and selectivity. Also, the TDMAPP-based sensor was successfully used for the determination of Hg²⁺ in environmental water samples.     

The fluorescence enhancement effect of Tb-Gd-adenosine triphosphate-phen system and its analytical application

It is found that the fluorescence of Tb-adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-phenanthroline (phen) system can be enhanced by Gd³⁺. The fluorescence enhancement of the Tb-Gd-ATP-phen system is considered to originate from intramolecular and intermolecular energy transfers, and the energy-insulating sheath effect of Gd-ATP-phen complex. In addition, a new energy transfer pathway in Tb-ATP-phen system is proposed. As a mediator, phen can transfer the energy absorbed by ATP to Tb³⁺ through the stacking action between aromatic ring of phen and purine ring of ATP. The proposed method has been used to determine trace amount of ATP. The detection limit is 5.4 × 10⁻⁹ mol/l, which is about 40 times lower than that of the Tb-ATP-phen system. The proposed method is one of the most sensitive fluoremetries of ATP.     

A novel Lu fluorescent nano-chemosensor using new functionalized mesoporous structures

A new Lu³⁺ sensitive fluorescent chemosensor is designed using 8-hydroxyquinoline functionalized mesoporous silica with highly ordered structure (LUS-SPS-Q). The characterization of LUS-SPS-Q showed that the organized structure has been preserved after the post grafting procedure. The synthesized material showed a selective interaction with Lu³⁺ ion, most probably due to the presence of the fluorophore moiety at its surface. The emission intensity of the Lu³⁺-bound mesoporous material increases with an increase in concentrations of Lu³⁺ ion. Addition of other mono-, di-, trivalent ions resulted in insignificant change in the fluorescent intensity. The enhancement of fluorescence is attributed to the strong covalent binding of Lu³⁺ ion. The linear response range of Lu³⁺ chemo-sensor was from 1.6 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. The Limit of detection obtained was 8.2 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ and the pH range which the proposed chemo-sensor can be applied was 3.3–8.3.     

Determination of adrenaline by using inhibited Ru(bpy)3 electrochemiluminescence

Adrenaline was found to inhibit strongly the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) from the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tripropylamine system when a working Pt electrode was maintained at 1.05 V (versus Ag/AgCl) in pH 8.0 phosphate buffer. On this basis, a flow injection (FI) procedure with inhibited electrochemiluminescence detection has been developed for determination of adrenaline. The method exhibited a good reproducibility, sensitivity, and stability with a detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) of 7.0×10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹ and dynamic concentration range of 2×10⁻⁸ to 1×10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation was 2.2% for 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹ adrenaline (n=11). The method was successfully applied to the determination of adrenaline in pharmaceutical samples. Moreover, ECL emission spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra and cyclic voltammograms of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tripropylamine/adrenaline were studied. The inhibition mechanism has been proposed as the interaction of electrogenerated Ru(bpy)₃^2+* and the o-benzoquinone derivatives, adrenochrome and adrenalinequinone, at the electrode surface.     

Inhibition biosensor for determination of nicotine

An amperometric nicotine inhibition biosensor has been substantially simplified and used for determination of nicotine in tobacco sample. Besides the use of single enzyme choline oxidase to replace bienzyme, the use of 1,4-benzoquinone as an electron mediator makes it possible to avoid the use of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide sensor as the internal transducer. Choline oxidase was immobilized on the carbon paste electrode through cross-linking with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by glutaraldehyde. In the presence of choline oxidase and its endogenous cofactor flavin-ademine dinneleotide (FAD), choline was oxidized into betaine while FAD was reduced to FADH₂ which subsequently reduced 1,4-benzoquinone into hydroquinone. The later was finally oxidized at a relatively low potential of +450 mV versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE). Nicotine inhibits the activity of enzyme with an effect of decreasing of oxidation current. The experimental conditions were optimized. The electrode has a linear response to choline within 1.25×10⁻⁴ to 1.25×10⁻³ mol l⁻¹. The nicotine measurements were carried out in 0.067 mol l⁻¹phosphate buffer of pH 7.4 at an applied potential of 450 mV versus SCE. The electrode provided a linear response to nicotine over a concentration range of 2.0×10⁻⁵ to 9.2×10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The system was applied to the determination of nicotine in tobacco samples.