A smart chemosensor: Discriminative multidetection and various logic operations in aqueous solution at biological pH

Area of Science:

• Chemical sensing
• Molecular probes
• Supramolecular chemistry

Background:

• Development of selective molecular probes is crucial for detecting various analytes.
• Rhodamine and pyrazole moieties offer unique photophysical properties for probe design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel rhodamine-pyrazole based molecular probe.
• To evaluate the probe's sensing capabilities for heavy metal cations and anions.
• To investigate the probe's potential for performing molecular logic operations.

Main Methods:

• Spectroscopic analysis (absorption and emission) was employed for detection.
• The probe was synthesized and characterized.
• Sensing experiments were conducted in aqueous solution at biological pH (HEPES, pH 7.2).

Main Results:

• The probe selectively detected Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Hg²⁺, and Ni²⁺.
• High selectivity for S₂O₅^2- was observed via absorption and emission spectra.
• The probe/Cu²⁺ complex detected various anions (F^-, CN^-, S^2-, CH₃COO^-, CO₃^2-, NO₂^-).
• The probe demonstrated potential for implementing AND, NAND, NOR, and INHIBIT logic gates.

Conclusions:

• A novel rhodamine-pyrazole probe exhibits excellent selectivity for multiple heavy metal cations and specific anions.
• The probe serves as a versatile platform for developing multi-functional molecular logic systems.