Optical Chemosensors and Chemodosimeters for Anion Detection Based on Merrifield Resin Functionalized with Brooker’s Merocyanine Derivatives

Abstract

Dyes supported on polymer materials have shown relevance in obtaining optical devices for anionic analyte detection. Thus, in this study, Merrifield resin was functionalized with protonated or silylated perichromic probes, derived from Brooker's merocyanine to be used in chemosensor and chemodosimeter approaches for the detection of anionic species. The phenolic and silylated functionalized resins were characterized by infrared spectrophotometry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and optical and confocal microscopy techniques. These materials were studied in trichloromethane as chromogenic and fluorogenic systems for H 2 PO 4 − , CN − , CH 3 COO − , and F − detection. Furthermore, the functionalized polymers were analyzed by laser scanning confocal microscopy and showed multifluorescence in all cases, due to the fact that the dye is distributed in different microenvironments in the Merrifield resin. These devices have the potential to be studied through multivariate image analysis to obtain faster and simpler results in the detection of anionic analytes.

Advances in fluorescent and colorimetric sensors for anionic species

“…Sensing of cyanide by means of nucleophilic addition reactions is quite common and examples based on polymers or helicenoids has been recently reported [120,121]. A classic reaction that can be exploited for anion sensing is the addition of cyanide to dicyanovinyl moieties.…”

Phthalocyanine-Functionalized Magnetic Silica Nanoparticles as Anion Chemosensors

“…One of the main advantages of using solid-phase materials is that it is generally easier to separate the liquid-donating phase from the receiving solid phase, turning these approaches into a cost-effective technique [ 36 ]. Recent reports describe the use of Merrifield resin (MR) as solid state chemosensor for the detection of anionic species [ 37 ]. The MR was firstly functionalized with specific probes (derived from Brooker’s merocyanine), and then evaluated as chemosensor for the detection of anionic species.…”

“…The experiments were made in trichloromethane solvent and the results show a fluorescence change in the presence of CH 3 COO−, F−, H 2 PO 4 −, and CN− anions. The MR chemosensor were also demonstrated to hold chromogenic properties, due to the coupling of the probes, allowing color change when in the presence of the previous described anions [ 37 ]. The versatility of using MR as chemosensor is related with the fact that the MR is insoluble in water and organic solvents.…”

Polymer-Bound Coumarin–Triphenyliminophosphorane Derivatives as Turn-On Fluorescence Sensors for Water Content Detection via Non-Hydrolytic Staudinger Reaction

“…This could be because the fluorescence spectra were composed of the luminescence contributions of both coumarin 1 and polymer-bound coumarin–TPIPP after hydrolysis. To overcome the abovementioned drawback and make the system with a single fluorophore expression, we proposed the second strategy discussed above: using crosslinked polymer beads as the platform to release only coumarin 1 into the water-containing solvents and induce the fluorescence turn-on effect . The polymer beads were synthesized by radical polymerization of St and DPPS monomers in a molar ratio of 1:1; divinylbenzene (DVB) was used as the crosslinker during chain propagation to obtain the polymer beads .…”