Paper-Based Fluorescence Chemosensors for Metal Ion Detection in Biological and Environmental Samples

Abstract

The recognition and detection of metal ions present in biological and environmental samples have attracted great attention in recent years. Various analytical techniques are used to detect metal ions. Among these, the fluorescence technique is among the emerging methods because of its simplicity, selectivity, and applicability to bioimaging. Thus, this review particularly explores paper-based fluorescence chemosensors involved in metal ion detection. Significantly, the first section addresses relevant research on metal ion detection involving various techniques. In the second section, several sensing strategies such as photoinduced electron transfer, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, intramolecular charge transfer, chelation enhanced fluorescence, excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, and aggregation-induced emission for the detection of target metal ions (aluminum, copper, iron, lead, mercury, and zinc) are investigated. The third section particularly discusses the role of fluorescence sensor materials (e.g., fluorescein, rhodamine, naphthalimide, BODIPY, carbon dots, quantum dots) involved in the detection processes and their advantages and limitations. Overall, this article reviews 90 research articles on paperbased fluorescence chemosensors for metal ion detection published until 2021.

Optical Detection of Copper Ions via Structural Dissociation of Plasmonic Sugar Nanoprobes

“…Heavy metal ions are harmful substances that cause environmental pollution and various diseases in the human body due to their inherent toxicity. − The accumulation of heavy metal ions in the ecosystem increases with increasing amounts of metal ions dissolved in the environmental waste, which may directly or indirectly affect human health. , Therefore, detecting and monitoring heavy metal ions in aquatic systems is essential for a clean environment and healthy life. Although copper (II) ions are nutritionally essential for certain biological processes, − their excess accumulation in the body causes several health problems, such as hepatotoxicity, neurodegenerative diseases, − and Wilson’s disease .…”

Optical Sensing of Toxic Cyanide Anions Using Noble Metal Nanomaterials

“…It is necessary to select the specific substance utilized as a luminous material and to set the procedures for monitoring changes in the fluorescence spectrum. These two issues were the main challenges to fluorescence sensing technologies [ 99 , 100 ]. For the detection of dangerous substances and pharmaceuticals, several researchers have extensively employed organic compounds and dyes as fluorophores.…”

Zinc(ii) Schiff base complexes as dual probes for the detection of NH4+ and HPO42− ions

“…Several methods for the determination of NH 4 + and phosphate have been established, such as ion-selective electrodes, 7,8 mass-spectrometric detection, 9,10 optical [11][12][13] and electroanalytical methods [14][15][16] and biosensing techniques 17,18 so far, but these methods have some limitations such as a complicated preparation process, large interference factors, high cost and time consumption. 19,20 Fluorescence sensing is a simple and traditional technology that uses absorption and emission spectra to achieve high-resolution sensing. It mainly follows the ''turn-on'' and ''turn-off'' mechanisms of fluorescence, so as to realize the detection of fluorescence, and is widely used in various fields due to its advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity, a low detection limit, high selectivity and low cost.…”