A rhodamine-based fluorescent and colorimetric chemodosimeter for the rapid detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous media was developed. The system, which utilizes an irreversible Hg2+-promoted oxadiazole forming reaction, responds instantaneously at room temperature in a 1:1 stoichiometric manner to the amount of Hg2+. The selectivity of this system for Hg2+ over other metal ions is remarkably high, and its sensitivity is below 2 ppb in aqueous solutions.

Exposure to mercury causes severe damage to various tissues and organs in humans. Concern over mercury toxicity has encouraged the development of efficient, sensitive, and selective methods for the in vivo detection of mercury. Although a variety of chemosensors have been exploited for this purpose, no in vivo monitoring systems have been described to date. In this report, we describe an irreversible rhodamine chemosensor-based, real-time monitoring system to detect mercury ions in living cells and, in particular, vertebrate organisms. The chemosensor responds rapidly, irreversibly, and stoichiometrically to mercury ions in aqueous media at room temperature. The results of experiments with mammalian cells and zebrafish show that the mercury chemosensor is cell and organism permeable and that it responds selectively to mercury ions over other metal ions. In addition, real-time monitoring of mercury-ion uptake by cells and zebrafish using this chemosensor shows that saturation of mercury-ion uptake occurs within 20-30 min in cells and organisms. Finally, accumulation of mercury ions in zebrafish tissue and organs is readily detected by using this rhodamine-based chemosensor.

A new rhodamine-hydroxamic acid-based fluorescent chemosensor for the rapid detection of HOCl in aqueous media was developed. The system, which utilizes an irreversible HOCl-promoted oxidation reaction, responds instantaneously at room temperature with linear proportionality to the amount of HOCl. This system is highly selective for HOCl over other reactive oxygen species (ROS) and highly sensitive in aqueous solutions. Biological imaging studies using living cells and organisms (A549 cells and zebrafish) to detect HOCl are successfully demonstrated.

A new, selective chemosensor has been developed to detect cyanide in water at micromolar concentrations. The acridinium salt used in this sensor system is prepared in a single step from an acridine orange base. Detection is based on the irreversible, 1:1 stoichiometric, nucleophilic addition of cyanide to the 9-position of the acridinium ion. This process induces a large decrease in fluorescence intensity and a marked color change. The selectivity of the system in aqueous media for CN- over other anions is remarkably high. Also, the sensitivity of both the fluorescence- and colorimetric-based assay is below the 1.9 microM suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the maximum allowable cyanide concentration in drinking water. Thus, the chemodosimeter should be applicable as a practical system for the monitoring of CN- concentrations in aqueous samples. [structure: see text]

A number of naturally occurring substances, including hamigerans, contain ring systems which are fused to an aromatic nucleus. A general and streamlined method for the construction of such benzannulated bi- and polycyclic carbon frameworks has been developed, and its scope and limitations were explored. On the basis of the photoenolization of substituted benzaldehydes and subsequent Diels-Alder (PEDA) trapping of the generated hydroxy-o-quinodimethanes, this method was optimized to set the stage for the total synthesis of several naturally occurring members of the hamigeran class. Specifically, the developed synthetic technology served as the centerpiece process for the successful asymmetric synthesis of hamigerans A (2), B (3), and E (7). In addition to the PEDA reactions, several other novel reaction processes are described, including a high-yielding decarbonylative ring contraction and an oxidative decarboxylation of a hydroxyl beta-keto ester to afford an alpha-diketone. A number of analogues of these biologically active natural products were also prepared by application of the developed technology.