Turn-on fluorescence probe for selective detection of Hg(Ⅱ)by calixpyrrole hydrazide reduced silver nanoparticle: Application to real water sample

A simple and quick method for the synthesis of water dispersible stable silver nanoparticles has been developed. Calix[4]pyrrole octahydrazide(CPOH), has been successfully used as a reducing as well as stabilizing agent for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. CPOH-AgNps have been duly characterized by SPR, PSA, TEM and EDX-ray. The ability of CPOH-AgNps as selective and sensitive sensor for various ions(Pb(Ⅱ), Cd(Ⅱ), Mn(Ⅱ), Fe(Ⅲ), Ni(Ⅱ), Zn(Ⅱ), Hg(Ⅱ), Co(Ⅱ), Cu(Ⅱ)) by colorimetry and spectrofluorimetry has been explored. CPOH-AgNps were found to be selective only for Hg(Ⅱ) ions. Nanomolar concentration of Hg(Ⅱ) ions can also be determined by spectrofluorimetry by increase in fluorescence intensity. Linear range of detection of Hg(Ⅱ) ions in water was found to be from 1 nmol/L to 1 μmol/L. The method has been successfully applied for determination of Hg(Ⅱ) ions in ground water and industrial effluent waste water samples.     

A carbazole-hemicyanine dye based ratiometric fluorescent probe for selective detection of bisulfite (HSO3−) in cells and C. elegans

A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for selective detection of HSO₃^- based on the 1,4-nucleophilic addition reaction was successfully synthesized and applied to the detection of exogenous HSO₃^- in Hela cells and C. elegans.     

Phenanthrene-imidazole-based fluorescent sensor for selective detection of Ag+ and F− ions: real sample application and live cell imaging

Research on Chemical Intermediates - 4-Methyl-2,6-bis(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol (probe-MPIP) conjugate has been designed as a selective fluorescent probe for silver (Ag+) ions. The...     

Radiolytic formation of tribromine ion Br3− in aqueous solutions,a system for steady-state dosimetry

Several aqueous solutions containing high concentrations of bromine ion were gamma-irradiated and the radiolytic yield of the formed tribromine ion, Br₃⁻, was determined. Br₃⁻ can be stabilized under certain conditions and its formation yield can be very high and constant over a wide range of irradiation dose. The possibility to use that system for steady-state dosimetry is discussed.     

Liquid–liquid extraction of uranium(VI) from weak sodium acetate medium using 2-octylaminopyridine: real sample analysis

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The analytical technique has been developed for the extraction and determination of uranium(VI). This process is based on the ion-pair complex...     

On-line combination of single-drop liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction with capillary electrophoresis for sample cleanup and preconcentration: A simple and efficient approach to determining trace analyte in real matrices

In order to improve the sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and overcome the deficiency of commercial CE instruments in handling complex matrices directly, we proposed a novel technique which combined single-drop liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (SD-LLLME) with CE on-line. In this technique, SD-LLLME was realized using a commercial CE instrument and, to further concentrate the target analyte, large-volume sample stacking combined sweeping without polarity switching was utilized. Even though without agitating the donor phase in the extraction process, the model compound, adenine was enriched 550-fold in only 10 min. The enrichment factors were 760 and 1030 when the extraction time was extended to 30 and 60 min, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of adenine were 5.24% and 2.29% for peak area and migration time, respectively, which indicated that this method was much more reproducible compared to the existing methods that combined sample-preparation strategies with CE. In addition, this approach was selective while cleaning up target analyte. These mentioned advantages allowed the developed method to be an attractive approach to determining trace target compounds in complex real samples.     

Catalytic oxidation of cyclohexene to cyclohexanone by a triple system in acidic aqueous acetonitrile medium

The catalytic oxidation of cyclohexene to cyclohexanone using Pd(OAc)2/HQ/FePc was investigated in an acidic aqueous solution of acetonitrile. The role of each component of this system in the oxidation of cyclohexene was explored by means of UV-VIS, IR, XPS spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism of the oxidation of cyelohexene catalyzed by Pd(OAc)2/HQ/FePc was elucidated.     

The assessment of π-π selective stationary phases for two-dimensional HPLC analysis of foods: Application to the analysis of coffee

Differences between alkyl, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, and π-π selective surfaces represented by non-resonance and resonance π-stationary phases have been assessed for the separation of ‘Ristretto’ café espresso by employing 2DHPLC techniques with C18 phase selectivity detection. Geometric approach to factor analysis (GAFA) was used to measure the detected peaks (N), spreading angle (β), correlation, practical peak capacity (n_p) and percentage usage of the separations space, as an assessment of selectivity differences between regional quadrants of the two-dimensional separation plane. Although all tested systems were correlated to some degree to the C18 dimension, regional measurement of separation divergence revealed that performance of specific systems was better for certain sample components. The results illustrate that because of the complexity of the ‘real’ sample obtaining a truly orthogonal two-dimensional system for complex samples of natural origin may be practically impossible.     

Reduction of micellar size of PEO−PPO−PEO triblock copolymer in presence of ionic liquid in aqueous solutions: A SANS study

The interaction of ionic liquids (ILs) with non-ionic triblock copolymer, Pluronic® P123, in aqueous solutions has been investigated using Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) measurements. The micellar structural parameters are obtained by fitting the SANS scattering data with model composed of core-shell form factor and a hard sphere structure factor of interaction, as a function of cationic head group of ILs. With the addition of ILs, a decrease in the micellar core, aggregation number, and hard sphere radius of P123 micelles was noticed. The results are discussed and explained as a function of cationic head groups of N-octylpyridinium/imidazolium chloride.     

A highly selective fluorescent chemosensor for successive detection of Fe3+ and CN− in pure water

A water-soluble fluorescent chemosensor (D) based on 1, 8-naphthalimide derivative has been designed and synthesised as a new fluorescent sensor for successive detection of Fe³⁺ and CN^?. Fluorescence measurements show that chemosensor D has excellent fluorescent-specific selectivity and high sensitivity for Fe³⁺ over many other metal ions in pure water. Moreover, the complex of D and Fe³⁺ (D–Fe³⁺) displayed high sensitivity for CN^? over many other anions in the same medium. Even more important, the recognition of the sensor D for Fe³⁺ and D–Fe³⁺ complex for CN^- could be used successfully in pure water. The test strips based on D and D–Fe³⁺ exhibited good selectivity to Fe³⁺ and CN,^- respectively, we believe the test strips could serve as convenient and efficient Fe³⁺ and CN^? test kits.     

A simple colorimetric chemosensor for relay detection of Cu2+ and S2− in aqueous solution

A simple colorimetric chemosensor 1 was developed for the sequential detection of Cu²⁺ and S^2?. Sensor 1 could rapidly detect Cu²⁺ by an obvious color change from colorless to yellow. The binding mode of 1 to Cu²⁺ was determined to be a 1:1 complexation stoichiometry through Job plot and ESI-mass spectrometry analyses. The sensing mechanism of Cu²⁺ by 1 was proposed by theoretical calculations. Importantly, the detection limit for Cu²⁺ was found to be 0.12 μM, which was much lower than the recommended value (31.5 μM) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, 1 could detect and quantify Cu²⁺ in real water samples. Moreover, the resulting 1-Cu²⁺ complex could be used as a highly selective colorimetric sensor for S^2? in the presence of various anions without any interference. The detection limit for S^2? was determined to be 1.66 μM, which was much lower than the guideline (14.8 μM) recommended by WHO in fresh water.     

Molecular organization of 4-cyano-4′-nonylbiphenyl in a dielectric medium: A statistical analysis

The molecular organization of 4-cyano-4′-nonylbiphenyl (CNBP) in a dielectric medium has been explored using a statistical model based on quantum mechanics and computer simulation. The complete neglect differential overlap (CNDO/2) method has been employed to evaluate the net atomic charge and atomic dipole components at each atomic centre of the molecule. The modified Rayleigh-Schrodinger perturbation theory along with multicentered multipole expansion method has been employed to evaluate the long-range intermolecular interactions, while the 6-exp potential function has been assumed for short-range interactions. The total interaction energies obtained through these computations were used as input to calculate the probability of occurrence of each configuration in a dielectric medium, benzene, at room temperature (300 K) using the MB formula. The various possible geometrical arrangements between a molecular pair during the different modes of interactions have been considered. This provides theoretical support to the experimental observations.     

Air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction method as a novel microextraction technique; Application in extraction and preconcentration of phthalate esters in aqueous sample followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection

A novel microextraction technique, air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (AALLME), which is a new version of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) method has been developed for extraction and preconcentration of phthalate esters, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), from aqueous samples prior to gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) analysis. In this method, much less volume of an organic solvent is used as extraction solvent in the absence of a disperser solvent. Fine organic droplets were formed by sucking and injecting of the mixture of aqueous sample solution and extraction solvent with a syringe for several times in a conical test tube. After extraction, phase separation was performed by centrifugation and the enriched analytes in the sedimented phase were determined by GC–FID. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method showed low limits of detection and quantification between 0.12–1.15 and 0.85–4 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Enrichment factors (EFs) and extraction recoveries (ERs) were in the ranges of 889–1022 and 89–102%, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the extraction of 100 ng mL⁻¹ and 500 ng mL⁻¹ of each phthalate ester were less than 4% for intra-day (n = 6) and inter-days (n = 4) precision. Finally some aqueous samples were successfully analyzed using the proposed method and three analytes, DIBP, DNBP and DEHP, were determined in them at ng mL⁻¹ level.     

Bithiophene triarylborane dyad: An efficient material for the selective detection of CN− and F− ions

A new fluorescent chemosensor based on bithiophene coupled dimesitylborane (BMB-1) was synthesized and characterized. BMB-1 was used for colorimetric and turn-on fluorescent sensing of cyanide (CN⁻) and fluoride (F⁻) ions, in the presence of other competitive anions in an aqueous (CH₃CN–H₂O) medium. BMB-1 showed a hypsochromic shift (blue shift) with addition of CN⁻ and F⁻ ions in absorption studies. The lower detection level of CN⁻ and F⁻ ions is 1.37 × 10⁻⁹ and 1.75 × 10⁻⁹ M, respectively. The BMB-1 binding mechanism is based on the nucleophilic addition of CN⁻ and F⁻ ions in the internal charge transfer transition of bithio moiety to the boranylmesitylene unit, and the color changes were observed under UV light. This result is further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculations. Also, the BMB-1 probe is found to be a good adsorbent for the removal of F⁻ ions in real water samples using the adsorption technique.     

FRET based selective and ratiometric ‘naked-eye’ detection of CN in aqueous solution on fluorescein–Zn–naphthalene ensemble platform

We have developed a FRET-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for the detection of CN⁻ using a fluorescein–Zn–naphthalene ensemble (NFH·Zn²⁺). The sensing mechanism was ascribed by displacement approach. The chemosensor exhibits high selectivity and sensibility for CN⁻. The speculation was supported by fluorescence emission spectra, UV–vis spectrum, ¹H NMR titration experiments, and mass spectra. The interconversion of probe NFH and NFH·Zn²⁺ via the complexation/decomplexation by the modulation of Zn²⁺/CN⁻ mimics INHIBIT gate. In addition, it also shows an excellent performance in ‘dip stick’ method.     

Cholesterol-based simple supramolecular gelators: an approach to selective sensing of CN− ion with application in dye adsorption

Cholesterol-linked simple supramolecular gelators 1–3 with functional diversity have been designed on 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde backbone for anion sensing through gel-to-sol methodology. Change in functional group in the gelators of common structural feature has significant impact on gelation, gel properties, morphology and anion sensing behavior. The dicyanovinyl derivative 3 has been established as superior gelator among the three as it forms gel from varieties of solvents with lowest concentration. All the three gels are applied in anion recognition. The gel state of 1 remains virtually intact in presence of all the anions tested. The oxime derivative 2 interacts with basic anions like CN^?, F^? and AcO^? and displays no selectivity in gel phase anion sensing. On contrary, the dicyanovinylated analogue 3 shows gel-to-sol transition selectively in presence of CN^? and validates its visual sensing. Additionally, the gel of 3 as explored in dye adsorption works well in rapid removal of crystal violet, a cationic dye from waste water.     

A novel fatty-acid-based in-tube dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction technique for the rapid determination of nonylphenol and 4-tert-octylphenol in aqueous samples using high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet detection

In this study, a novel fatty-acid-based in-tube dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (FA-IT-DLLME) technique is proposed for the first time and is developed as a simple, rapid and eco-friendly sample extraction method for the determination of alkylphenols in aqueous samples using high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet detection (HPLC–UV). In this extraction method, medium-chain saturated fatty acids were investigated as a pH-dependent phase because they acted as either anionic surfactants or neutral extraction solvents based on the acid–base reaction caused solely by the adjustment of the pH of the solution. A specially designed home-made glass extraction tube with a built-in scaled capillary tube was utilized as the phase-separation device for the FA-IT-DLLME to collect and measure the separated extractant phase for analysis. Nonylphenol (NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (4-tOP) were chosen as model analytes. The parameters influencing the FA-IT-DLLME were thoroughly investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the detector responses of NP and 4-tOP were linear in the concentration ranges of 5–4000 μg L⁻¹, with correlation coefficients of 0.9990 and 0.9996 for NP and 4-tOP, respectively. The limits of detection based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 0.7 and 0.5 μg L⁻¹, and the enrichment factors were 195 and 143 for NP and 4-tOP, respectively. The applicability of the developed method was demonstrated for the analysis of alkylphenols in environmental wastewater samples, and the recoveries ranged from 92.9 to 107.1%. The extraction process required less than 4 min and utilized only acids, alkalis, and fatty acids to achieve the extraction. The results demonstrated that the presented FA-IT-DLLME approach is highly cost-effective, simple, rapid and environmentally friendly in its sample preparation.