Chlorophyll-based sustainable and eco-friendly optical sensor for efficient detection of Pyrene

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) like pyrene (PYR) are significant environmental pollutants.
• Accurate and sensitive detection methods for PAHs are crucial for environmental monitoring.
• Existing detection methods can be costly, complex, or environmentally unfriendly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly fluorescent sensing platform for pyrene detection.
• To utilize the optical properties of chlorophyll (Chl) for sensing applications.
• To validate the platform's efficacy in real-world environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• Leveraging chlorophyll's photoluminescence (PL) properties for sensing.
• Monitoring changes in Chl's PL intensity, fluorescence lifetime, and Fourier-transform infrared spectra.
• Investigating fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) as the sensing mechanism.

Main Results:

• Achieved an ultra-low detection limit of 0.25 picomolar for pyrene.
• Demonstrated the primary sensing mechanism to be FRET.
• Successfully quantified pyrene in soil and water sediment samples from oil exploration sites.

Conclusions:

• Chlorophyll-based fluorescence offers a sustainable and efficient sensing tool.
• The developed platform shows great potential for environmental monitoring of PAHs.
• This method provides a sensitive and cost-effective alternative for pollutant detection.