A double-ionic macrocycle based on cyanostilbene: First organic fluorescence sensor based small molecular system for...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cholesterol is a vital nutrient and disease biomarker.
• Existing cholesterol detection methods often rely on complex instrumentation.
• A need exists for rapid, simple, and in-situ organic fluorescence sensors for cholesterol.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel organic fluorescence sensor for cholesterol detection.
• To develop a small molecular system for rapid and in-situ cholesterol analysis.
• To demonstrate the practical utility of the sensor in real-world samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a novel double-ionic macrocycle (DIM) based on cyanostilbene.
• Utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy for cholesterol detection, observing a distinct color change.
• Elucidating the sensing mechanism using techniques like NMR, MS, XRD, POM, CD, CPL, and DFT calculations.

Main Results:

• The developed DIM sensor exhibited high selectivity against 22 biomolecules and 16 ions.
• Achieved a low detection limit of 1.03 × 10^-8 M, demonstrating exceptional sensitivity.
• Successfully applied the sensor for qualitative and quantitative in-situ cholesterol detection in test papers, egg yolks, and water samples.

Conclusions:

• The novel DIM sensor represents the first small molecular organic fluorescence system for cholesterol detection.
• The sensor offers rapid, simple, and sensitive cholesterol analysis with practical applicability.
• This technology holds promise for daily applications and real-world environmental monitoring of cholesterol.