Electrospun Nanofibers from a Tricyanofuran‐Based Molecular Switch for Colorimetric Recognition of Ammonia Gas

A chromophore based on tricyanofuran (TCF) with a hydrazone (H) recognition moiety was developed. Its molecular‐switching performance is reversible and has differential sensitivity towards aqueous ammonia at comparable concentrations. Nanofibers were fabricated from the TCF–H chromophore by electrospinning. The film fabricated from these nanofibers functions as a solid‐state optical chemosensor for probing ammonia vapor. Recognition of ammonia vapor occurs by proton transfer from the hydrazone fragment of the chromophore to the ammonia nitrogen atom and is facilitated by the strongly electron withdrawing TCF fragment. The TCF–H chromophore was added to a solution of poly(acrylic acid), which was electrospun to obtain a nanofibrous sensor device. The morphology of the nanofibrous sensor was determined by SEM, which showed that nanofibers with a diameter range of 200–450 nm formed a nonwoven mat. The resultant nanofibrous sensor showed very good sensitivity in ammonia‐vapor detection. Furthermore, very good reversibility and short response time were also observed.     

Simple bis-thiocarbono-hydrazones as sensitive, selective, colorimetric, and switch-on fluorescent chemosensors for fluoride anions

Bis-thiocarbono-hydrazones are found to be a class of sensitive, selective, ratiometric, and colorimetric chemosensors for anions such as fluoride (F(-)) or acetate (Ac(-)). The sensitivities, or the binding constants of the sensors with anions, were found to be strongly dependent on the substituents appended on the pi-conjugation framework, the delocalization bridge CH==N, the aromatic moiety, and the hetero atom in the C==X group (X=O, S) of the sensors. Single-crystal structures and (1)H NMR titration analysis shows that the --CH==N-- moiety is a hydrogen-bond donor, and it is proposed that an additional CHF hydrogen bond is formed for the sensors in the presence F(-). A sensor bearing anthracenyl groups is demonstrated as a switch-on fluorescent chemosensor for F(-) and Ac(-). The recognition of F(-) in acetonitrile (MeCN) by a sensor with nitrophenyl substituents is tolerant to MeOH (MeCN/MeOH=10:1, v/v) and water (MeCN/H(2)O=30:1, v/v); at these solvent ratios the absorption intensity of the sensor-F(-) complex solution at maximal absorption wavelength was attenuated to half of the original value in pure MeCN.     

数码比色法测定环境及生物样品中的氰化物浓度

在传统氰化物检测方法的基础上,提出了一种新的方法—数码比色法。在一定条件下,苦味酸与氰化物生成黄色化合物,用数码相机对显色溶液拍照,通过数码比色,进行灰度处理,照片的三原色值与氰化物的浓度成线性关系,可以直接分析出其氰化物的浓度。对唾液样品测定,其回收率为98.18%,对照品测定的相对标准偏差RSD为1.5%。研究结果表明,数码比色法具有准确度和精密度都比较理想,方便快速、环境友好等特点。     

基于碳量子点和罗丹明B的新型比率荧光试纸片检测水中Hg(Ⅱ)

水环境中Hg(Ⅱ)的污染对生态环境和人类健康危害极大,目前Hg(Ⅱ)的检测主要有原子光谱/质谱和电化学等方法,但存在检测仪器昂贵、操作繁琐及前处理复杂等缺点,难以在日常水环境中微量Hg(Ⅱ)现场检测的应用。因此,建立一种灵敏、准确、快捷和经济的水中Hg(Ⅱ)检测方法具有重要意义。试纸法是将普通的化学反应从玻璃仪器转移到试纸上进行的一种快速检测方法,利用试剂与目标物之间产生的化学反应,通过颜色的变化可对目标物进行定性或半定量检测,具有操作简便、快速等优点。碳量子点是一类粒径小于10 nm的碳基纳米材料,具有优异的荧光性能、较低的毒性和较高的化学稳定性。利用Hg(Ⅱ)对碳量子点的荧光具有灵敏和高效的猝灭作用,构建了一种双色比率荧光试纸片用于快速检测水中微量Hg(Ⅱ)的含量。其中,采用氮掺杂水溶性碳量子点（NCDs）作为荧光响应信号、罗丹明B（RhB）作为荧光内标信号,在单一波长（355 nm）激发下产生位于440和580 nm的双色荧光发射峰。当体系加入不同浓度Hg(Ⅱ)后,NCDs表面官能团与Hg(Ⅱ)之间的静电作用和金属配位协同作用使荧光发生猝灭,而RhB的荧光信号保持不变,利用440和580 nm双色荧光信号或其强度的比值（F₄₄₀/F₅₈₀）,可实现对微量Hg(Ⅱ)的快速检测。实验对检测条件进行了优化,结果表明在HAc-NaAc缓冲液浓度为1 mmol·L-1、pH为7的条件下,F₄₄₀/F₅₈₀值与Hg(Ⅱ)浓度（0～3 μmol·L-1）呈现良好的线性关系,线性方程为F₄₄₀/F₅₈₀=-0.785 2ｃ_Hg(Ⅱ)+3.103 8,相关系数r＞0.99,以3倍标准偏差计算的检出限为2.7 nmol·L-1(n=9)。对湖水与自来水中Hg(Ⅱ)进行加标回收实验,其加标回收率在91.9%～117.9%之间,说明该方法灵敏、准确,能用于水中Hg(Ⅱ)的检测。同时,将NCDs和RhB浸渍于尼龙片上构建了双色比率荧光检测试纸片,在紫外灯（365nm）照射下可观测到试纸发射淡蓝紫色荧光。而随着Hg(Ⅱ)浓度的增加,荧光颜色从淡蓝紫色到橙色发生变化,每次检测时间只需3分钟,裸眼可检出Hg(Ⅱ)浓度低至10 nmol·L-1,实现了对水中微量Hg(Ⅱ)的灵敏、快速检测。此外,该方法对Hg(Ⅱ)的检测表现出良好的特异性。因此,基于碳量子点和罗丹明B构建的双色比率荧光试纸片具有携带方便、操作简单,以及灵敏和快速等优点,为水中微量Hg(Ⅱ)的快速检测提供了新的方法和思路。     

测色分光光度计的双光束分光系统设计

通常测色分光光度计均由两个独立且完全相同的分光系统组成,为实现测色分光光度计小型化、轻量化,提出一种双光束分光系统设计。将传统的分光系统进行改进,使一个分光系统实现双光束分光系统的功能,用两个小狭缝代替一个狭缝,即可实现两束光谱同时探测。分析了双光束分光系统的工作原理及设计要求,设计了一个用于便携式测色分光光度计的分光系统。设计的Czerny-Turner结构双光束分光系统采用超环面成像镜,可以较好的校正像散,防止两束光谱串扰,两束光谱在探测器上完全没有重叠,光谱分辨率小于10 nm,谱面长度9.12 mm,体积仅为57 mm×54 mm×23 mm,满足设计指标要求。通过与相同设计指标的单光束分光系统比较得出,采用双光束分光系统的改进型测色分光光度计比传统的测色分光光度计减少了一整套分光系统,从而使体积大幅缩小。该方法特别适用于便携式测色分光光度计,也可适用于其他双光束分光光度计。     

基于磁纳米颗粒的二段对称分裂式G-四分体DNA酶生物传感器用于Hg2+的快速检测

提出了一种可用于Hg²⁺快速检测的基于磁纳米颗粒与二段对称分裂式G-四分体DNA酶的生物传感器. 分别用紫外-可见光谱法, 圆二色光谱法和荧光显微镜成像技术对实验设计的DNA酶传感器进行了表征. 传感器中磁纳米颗粒的应用不仅可以直接从水样中通过磁分离方法分离和富集被测物Hg²⁺, 并且还能将游离的未与Hg²⁺结合的DNA酶和hemin等除去, 有效地提高检测灵敏度和降低背景信号; 此外, 二段对称分裂式G-四分体DNA酶的运用还可增强传感器的灵活性和选择性. 传感器对Hg²⁺检测的线性范围为0.8～20 nmol/L, 检出限为0.3 nmol/L. 当水体中的共存离子大量存在时, 传感器对Hg²⁺的检测仍具有高度特异性. 对实际水样的检测回收率在95.3%～104.4%之间. 实验设计的DNA酶传感器操作简便, 费用低廉, 具有良好的再生能力. 可用于天然水体和饮用水样品中痕量Hg²⁺的检测.     

Fluorescent and colorimetric probes for mercury(II): tunable structures of electron donor and π-conjugated bridge

A new series of intramolecular-charge-transfer (ICT) molecules (compounds 1, 2, and 3) were synthesized by attaching various electron-donating thiophenes groups to a triphenylamine backbone with an aldehyde group as the electron acceptor. Based on the protection reaction between ethanethiol and aldehyde, the corresponding dithioacetals (compounds S1, S2, and S3) were prepared to serve as novel colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensors for Hg(2+) ions. Also, compound S1 was further utilized to construct the chemical-reaction-based conjugated polymer probe (PS1) towards Hg(2+) ions. In the presence of as little as 10 nM Hg(2+), compound PS1 displayed an apparent change in the fluorescent intensity. The sensing processes were revealed to be mediated by ICT, as confirmed by time-dependent DFT calculations. Furthermore, compound S1 was successfully applied to microscopic imaging for the detection of Hg(2+) in HeLa cells with ratiometric fluorescent methods.     

Utility of 5-Diazo-1,2,4- Triazol-3-Carboxylic Acid for Colorimetric Determination of Certain 8-Hydroxyquinolines

Abstract

A colorimetric method for the determination of certain 8-hydroxyquinolines has been developed. The method is based on the coupling of 8-quinolinols with diazotriazole carboxylic acid in the presence of sodium carbonate (0.5% w/v) at ambient temperature (around 30°C). The resulting azo dyes are stable and give intense absorption in the range of 486–540 nm. Beer's law is valid in the concentration ranges of 1 – 8, 2.5 – 17.5, 5 – 35, 2 – 20, and 2 – 20 mcg/ml for 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ), 5,7-diiodo-8-hydroxyquinoline (DIQ), 5,7-dibromo-8-hydroxyquinoline (DBQ), 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline (CIQ) and 8-hydroxy-7-iodo-5-quinoline sulfonic acid (SIQ), respectively. The proposed method has been successfully applied for the determination of the studied compounds in pure form and in commercial formulations. The obtained results are in good agreement with those obtained from reported methods.     

Light Emitting Diodes and Phototransistors in Photometric Modules

Abstract

The design and construction of photometric modules is discussed. The cell module consists of a cylindrical cell of desired length with a light emitting diode glued to one end window and a phototransistor to the other. Light losses are thus kept at a minimum and power requirements are extremely modest. Invariance of the light path, good monochromacy and sensitivity, ruggedness and extreme light weight are some of the more prominent advantages resulting from this approach. The control module contains power supplies, circuits and a meter. Only a very few components are needed for monitoring the whole system.     

Chemiluminescent and Colorimetric Aptamer-Based Assays of Human α-Thrombin

Abstract

A microplate-based sandwich assay for the determination of α-human thrombin (HTb) was developed. Fluorescein-modified 29-mer thrombin binding aptamer (FAM-TBA29) and biotinylated 15-mer thrombin binding aptamer (Bio-TBA15) reacting with different exosites of HTb were used as the biorecognition components in the assay. FAM-TBA29 (capture aptamer) was immobilized using its interaction with anti-fluorescein antibody adsorbed on the microplate surface. As a sensitive signaling system, a combination of Bio-TBA15 and streptavidin-polyHRP conjugate was used. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for HTb was 1.4?nM; this value was the same in both the colorimetric and the chemiluminescent assays. The replacement of colorimetry for HRP measurement with chemiluminescence increased the assay sensitivity from 0.06 to 1.7?×?10⁶?nM^?1 that clearly demonstrated advantage of the latter approach.