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Naphthalimide-Based Fluorophore for Soft Anionic Interface Monitoring
Li Wang1, Gang Wang1, Congdi Shang1
1Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710062, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 20, 2017
Summary
A novel naphthalimide-based fluorophore (NA) is water-soluble and sensitive to its environment. This fluorescent probe detects anionic surfactants, cell membranes, and E. coli, enabling visualized biological contamination checks.
Area of Science:
- Organic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Naphthalimide derivatives are widely used as fluorescent probes.
- Developing environmentally sensitive and selective probes is crucial for various applications.
- There is a need for efficient probes for detecting biological contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize a novel naphthalimide-based low-molecular-mass fluorophore (NA).
- To investigate the photophysical properties of NA in aqueous solutions.
- To evaluate the potential of NA as a probe for anionic surfactants, cell membranes, and bacterial detection.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of the naphthalimide-based fluorophore (NA) with specific structural modifications.
- UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize photophysical properties.
- Viscosity and polarity-dependent fluorescence measurements.
- Application of NA as a probe for anionic surfactants and biological samples (cell membranes, E. coli).
Main Results:
- The synthesized NA is water-soluble with a quantum yield of ~20% and lifetime of ~3.7 ns.
- NA's fluorescence emission and anisotropy are sensitive to medium viscosity and polarity.
- NA selectively probes anionic surfactant aggregation and negatively charged biological surfaces.
- Successful visualized detection of cell membranes and E. coli was achieved.
Conclusions:
- The novel NA fluorophore exhibits favorable photophysical properties in water.
- NA serves as a selective and sensitive probe for anionic species and biological surfaces.
- NA holds promise for visualized detection of biological contamination in water and other sensing applications.
