The development of nonorthogonal tandem catalysis enables the use of a combination of arbitrary catalysts to rapidly synthesize complex products in a sustainable, efficient, and timely manner.
Reported herein is the sensitive and selective cyclodextrin-promoted fluorescence detection of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and cumene (BTEXC) fuel components in contaminated snow samples collected from several locations in the state of Rhode Island. This detection method uses cyclodextrin as a supramolecular scaffold to promote analyte-specific, proximity-induced fluorescence modulation of a high-quantum-yield fluorophore, which leads to unique fluorescence responses for each cyclodextrin-analyte-fluorophore combination investigated and enables unique pattern identifiers for each analyte using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). This detection method operates with high levels of sensitivity (sub-micromolar detection limits), selectivity (100% differentiation between structurally similar compounds, such as ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene isomers), and broad applicability (for different snow samples with varying chemical composition, pH, and electrical conductivity). The high selectivity, sensitivity, and broad applicability of this method indicate significant potential in the development of practical detection devices for aromatic toxicants in complex environments.
A challenge for detecting phthalates
in commercial products such
as cheese powders is that the composition of the products is highly
complex, and current methods for detection rely on gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry, which is not portable and cannot be used by individual
consumers at a time and place of their choosing. Herein, we report
the development of a new method for phthalate detection in cheese
powder using cyclodextrin-promoted fluorescence detection, in which
the presence of the phthalate analytes leads to highly analyte-specific
changes in the fluorescence emission signal of a fluorophore bound
in a cyclodextrin cavity. This method relies on subtle changes in
the analyte affinity for the fluorophore and the cyclodextrin cavity
and provides for markedly more straightforward sample preparation
procedures and an extremely rapid read-out signal, with potential
for the development of portable fluorescence sensors. Using this method,
we were able to detect 15 phthalate esters with highly analyte-specific
responses and at concentrations as low as 0.12 μM, which is
well below regulatory levels of concern. Computational investigations
strongly support the observed experimental trends.
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