Turning Fluorescent Dyes into Cu(II) Nanosensors

Abstract

There is great interest in the self-organization of the proper subunits as a new strategy for the realization of fluorescent chemosensors. In this article, it is shown that commercially available fluorescent dyes, functionalized with triethoxysilane moieties, can be converted into fluorescent chemosensors by simple inclusion into silica nanostructures. Dye-doped silica nanoparticles and thin films detect Cu(II) ions in the micromolar range by the quenching of fluorescence emission. The different response toward Zn(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) metal ions was also investigated and is reported. The self-organization of the silica structures leads, at the same time, to the formation of metal ion binding sites as well as to the linking of a fluorescent reporter in their proximity. Structural features of the materials, particularly particle size and network porosity, strongly affect their ability to act as fluorescent sensors.

Design of fluorescent materials for chemical sensing

“…The coated silica nanoparticles detected selectively Cu 2+ down to micromolar concentrations in 9 : 1 DMSO-water solution. This approach is more versatile than the process of Montalti, since simple combinations of different silanes easily yield nanoparticles with different sensing properties 43,233 without the need for additional synthesis of fluorescent probes (Fig. 25).…”

Temperature response of luminescent tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)-doped silica nanoparticles

“…Dye-doped SiO 2 nanoparticles are ideal for bioanalytical applications because they are chemically inert and are not subjected to microbial attack. In addition, silica surfaces can be easily tailored [9,10]. Incorporation of rhodamine 6G, acridine orange and [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ into growing SiO 2 particles has already been described in the literature [11][12][13][14][15].…”

Design of Fluorescent Materials for Chemical Sensing

“…they are covalently immobilized at a surface or form surfactant aggregates. A number of materials such as silica particles, 43 glass and gold surfaces, 44 quantum dots, 45 Langmuir-Blodgett films, 46 vesicles, 47 liposomes, 48 and others 49 are used combined with many chemical receptors to create sensitive fluorescent materials.…”