title: Tuning the sensitivity of a foldamer-based mercury sensor by its folding energy.
abstract: A fluorescent sensor for Hg2+ was obtained by incorporation of two methionine units into a cholate hexamer and by attaching a Dansyl group at the chain end. Folding could be made highly favorable or unfavorable in different solvents. Because folding was required to bring the sulfur groups together to chelate the mercury ion, binding affinity of the foldamer and, thus, its sensitivity as a sensor, could be tuned over broad ranges (at least 5 orders of magnitude) by solvent changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3111, USA. zhaoy@iastate.edu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhenqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D008628:Mercury