The detection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals required high technology, such as an analysis by GC/MS, which is very costly, and the analytical results require many days to obtain. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] However, it is urgent to quickly and conveniently confirm the existence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in rivers and lakes. In a previous paper, we discussed the first example of fluorescent molecular sensing for endocrine-disrupting chemicals and dioxin analogs by homo fluorescent β-and γ -cyclodextrins, which were modified with bis fluorescent-active units such as dansyl or anthranilate. 9 In the present study, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including p-nonylphenol and bisphenol A, and a dioxin analog, such as 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, were conveniently and directly detected by these fluorescent cyclodexstrins with high sensitivity and selectivity; pattern recognition of endocrinedisrupting chemicals would be expected to be possible. Furthermore, it was obvious that bis anthranilate-modified β-cyclodextrins can detect 10 -6 M of p-nonylphenol. We have previously discussed the synthesis of regioselectively fluorescent hetero-substituted cyclodextrins, which are 6 A -dansyl-6 X -tosylmodified β-cyclodextrins (X=B or G, C or F, and D or E) and 6 A -dansyl-6 X -tosyl-modified γ -analogs (X=B or H, C or G, D or F, and E), and examined of their fluorescent molecular-sensing abilities for organic compounds, such as bile acids and terpenes. 10 In this system, these hosts exhibited higher sensitive and selective molecular recognition ability for ursodeoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and (-)-borneol compared to monoand di-dansyl-modified β-and γ -analogs, which were reported previously. [11][12][13][14] As a further extension of our work, we investigated the fluorescence spectral changes of the titled hosts, fluorescent hetero-modified cyclodextrins, concerning the accommodation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In this paper, we wish to describe the fluorescent-sensing abilities of these host compounds for environmental hormones. These hetero-modified hosts detect bisphenol A and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol with high sensitivity and selectivity.
ExperimentalPreparations of β-1, β-2, β-3, γ -1, γ -2, γ -3, and γ -4The host compounds (β -1, β-2, β-3, γ -1, γ -2, γ -3, and γ -4) were prepared according to previously reported procedures. 10
MeasurementsThe fluorescence spectra were measured at 25˚C with a Perkin Elmer LS 40B fluorescence spectrometer. In fluorescence measurements, the excitation wavelength of the fluorescence spectra was 340 nm and the excitation and emission slits were 10 nm. An ethylene glycol aqueous solution (10 vol.%) was used as the solvent for hosts for spectroscopic measurements, because their solubility in pure water is poor. Five microliters of guest species (500, 50 and 5 mM) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or MeOH were injected into a 10 vol.% ethylene glycol aqueous solution of the host (2.5 mL) to make a sample solution with a host concentration of 1×10 -6 M and guest concentrations of 0.0...