A highly selective fluorescence-based polymer sensor incorporating an (R,R)-salen moiety for Zn(2+) detection.
A chiral polymer incorporating an (R,R)-salen moiety was synthesized by the polymerization of (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with 2,5-dibutoxy-1,4-di(salicyclaldehyde)-1,4-diethynyl-benzene by a nucleophilic addition-elimination reaction. The fluorescence responses of the (R,R)-salen-based polymer toward various metal ions were investigated by fluorescence spectra. Compared with other cations, such as Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Ag(+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), and Pb(2+), Zn(2+) can lead to a pronounced fluorescence enhancement as high as 7.8-fold together with an obvious blue-shift change of the chiral polymer. More importantly, the fluorescent color of the polymer changed to bright blue instead of weak yellow after addition of Zn(2+), which can be easily detected by the naked eye. The results indicate that this kind of chiral polymer, incorporating an (R,R)-salen moiety as a receptor in the main chain backbone, can exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity for Zn(2+) recognition.
Xu
Ying
Y
Key Lab of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China.
Meng
Jie
J
Meng
Lingxing
L
Dong
Yu
Y
Cheng
Yixiang
Y
Zhu
Chengjian
C
D005029:Ethylenediamines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005453:Fluorescence; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
D005029:Ethylenediamines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011108:Polymers; C011452:disalicylaldehyde ethylenediamine; D015032:Zinc