Molecular Design, Characterization, and Application of Multiinformation Dyes (MIDs) for Optical Chemical Sensings. 3....

By utilizing "multiinformation dyes (MIDs)", which have plural spectral change characteristics such as an absorption maximum wavelength (λ(max)) shift based on a polarity change and an absorbance change due to protonation, novel λ(max)-tunable ion-selective optodes were proposed and prepared by employing MIDs with membrane solvents having different polarities. For controlling the detecting λ(max) of the optode, the novel polar membrane solvent [2-[[6-(2-nitrophenoxy)hexyl]oxy]methyl]isobutane-1,3-diol was designed and synthesized, which was used together with a typical membrane solvent nitrophenyl octyl ether. By mixing these two membrane solvents, the λ(max) position of the optode detection wavelength can be shifted and controlled and was successfully applied to a λ(max)-tunable Li(+)-selective optode based on a highly Li(+)-selective ionophore TTD14C4. The λ(max) tuning technique is useful for preparing an optode system using a low-cost light source such as a light-emitting diode or a popular laser.