Urushiol detection using a profluorescent nitroxide.
A method to visually detect minute amounts of urushiol, the toxic catechol from poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac, has been developed utilizing the reaction of a profluorescent nitroxide with the B-n-butylcatecholboronate ester formed in situ from urushiol and B-n-butylboronic acid. The resulting N-alkoxyamine is strongly fluorescent upon illumination with a fluorescent lamp, allowing the location of the toxic urushiol contamination to be visualized. This methodology constitutes the groundwork for the future development of a spray to detect urushiol to avoid contact dermatitis, as well as to detect catecholamines for biomedical applications.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA. rbraslau@ucsc.edu
Rebecca
R
Braslau
Frank
F
Rivera
Erin
E
Lilie
MariEllen
M
Cottman
D002396:Catechols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact; D011040:Dermatitis, Toxicodendron / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D012251:Toxicodendron / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*
D002396:Catechols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C003747:urushiol