title: A highly selective luminescent sensor for the time-gated detection of potassium.
abstract: A terbium complex with long luminescence lifetime for the selective time-gated detection of potassium is presented. The complex demonstrates high sensitivity with a 25-fold increase in time-gated luminescence intensity between 0 and 15 mM potassium. The high selectivity of the complex for potassium over other physiological cations, and especially sodium (93 fold), is likely due to a favorable cation-pi interaction between a phenol moiety and the potassium ion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455.
authors.forename: Aurore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thibon
authors.forename: Valérie C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Pierre
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002414:Cations, Monovalent / Q000737:chemistry; D043844:Crown Ethers / Q000737:chemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013725:Terbium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002414:Cations, Monovalent; D043844:Crown Ethers; D013725:Terbium; D011188:Potassium