title: Fluorescence detection of mercury ions in aqueous media with the complex of a cationic oligopyrene derivative and oligothymine.
abstract: A water-soluble complex of a cationic oligopyrene derivative, oligo(N(1),N(1),N(1),N(4),N(4),N(4)-hexamethyl-2-(4-(pyren-1-yl) butanoyloxy) butane-1,4-diaminium bromide), and oligothymine has been prepared. The fluorescence sensor based on this complex showed high sensitivity and selectivity toward mercury(II) ions in aqueous media. The transduction mechanism of this sensor is based on the fluorescence self-quenching of oligopyrene in water via the interchain pi-stacking arising from the specific thymine-Hg-thymine complexation. The detection limit of this sensor was measured to be as low as 5 x 10(-9) mol L(-1). In addition, the fluorescent color change of the complex solution allows naked-eye detection of mercury(II) ions with an extremely low detection limit of 5 x 10(-6) mol L(-1).
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Bio-organic Phosphorus and Chemical Biology (Education Commission of China), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
authors.forename: Youqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Gaoquan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D010781:Photography; D011071:Poly T / Q000737:chemistry*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011721:Pyrenes; D014867:Water; D011071:Poly T; C030984:pyrene; D008628:Mercury