Pabitra B. Chatterjee

Xanthurenic acid: a natural ionophore with high selectivity and sensitivity for potassium ions in an aqueous solution

Xanthurenic acid (H3L), a simple natural molecule and a well known tryptophan metabolite involved in the biosynthesis of quinolobactin siderophore, was developed as an efficient “turn-on” fluorosensor for potassium ions in aqueous HEPES buffer solutions. The natural ionophore, H3L, showed high selectivity for K+ at physiological pH and in the context of interference from other competing metal ions, particularly Na+, the specific response of H3L towards K+ did not change. The detection limit was found to be 53 nM. This study demonstrates the first example in which a non-cyclic system bearing monocarboxylate functionality was used as an efficient fluorosensor for the detection of K+ in water.

Siderophore coated magnetic iron nanoparticles: Rational designing of water soluble nanobiosensor for visualizing Al3+ in live organism

This article aims to establish the judicious use of iron-binding chemistry of microbial chelators in order to functionalize the surface of iron nanoparticles to develop non-toxic nanobiosensor. Anchoring a simple siderophore 2,3-dihydroxybenzoylglycine (H3L), which bears catechol and carboxyl functionalities in tandem, on to the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles has developed a unique nanobiosensor HL-FeNPs which showed highly selective and sensitive detection of Al3+ in 100% water at physiological pH. The biosensor HL-FeNPs, with 20nM limit of detection, behaves reversibly and instantly. In-vivo bio-imaging in live brine shrimp Artemia confirmed that HL-FeNPs could be used as fluorescent biomarker for Al3+ in live whole organisms. Magnetic nature of the nanosensor enabled HL-FeNPs to remove excess Al3+ by using external magnet. To our knowledge, the possibility of microbial chelator in the practical development of Al3+ selective nanobiosensor is unprecedented.

Monitoring metabolite change in ice stored ghol fish (Protonibea diacanthus) by using a 1H NMR technique: identification of pyruvate as a spoilage marker

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy based metabolic analysis of ghol fish (Protonibea diacanthus) tissue extracts was carried out to acquire information on quality changes in fish samples during their prolonged storage in ice soon after sea-catch. This study revealed a wide distribution of metabolic signatures with the post-mortem age of ice stored fish. Up to 4 days (D-4) of ice storage, there were little changes in the concentration of a few selected metabolites such as trimethylammonium oxide (TMAO), creatine/phosphocreatine, and pyruvate; however, the concentration of the latter increased significantly afterwards.

Instant Detection of Hydrogen Cyanide Gas and Cyanide Salts in Solid Matrices and Water by using CuII and NiII Complexes of Intramolecularly Hydrogen Bonded Zwitterions

A series of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded zwitterionic compartmental ligands HL1-HL4, containing a pendent diamine arm that is monoprotonated and an aldehyde functionality at two different ortho-positions of a 4-halophenoxide, is reported herein. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) provides persuasive evidence for the identification of this class of proton-transferred zwitterions at room temperature. The solid-state photoluminescent nature of these zwitterions remains intact in aqueous and organic solutions. Grinding of HL1 and HL2 with Cu2+ /Ni2+ salts develop turn-on probes 1-4. Compounds 1 and 4 are dinuclear CuII and NiII species, respectively. Compound 2 is a tetranuclear CuII complex. Interestingly, compound 3 is a mononuclear NiII species in which both nitrogen atoms in the pendant diamine arm are protonated and, therefore, not coordinated to the NiII center. All these probes (1-4) display an instant response to the poison gas hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and cyanide salts present in both solid matrices and aqueous (100 % water) solution. Selective and rapid sensing of HCN gas and cyanide salts in solid/soil/water phases, without any interference, by the mechanosynthesized complexes 1-4 can be perceived easily by the naked eye under a hand-held UV lamp.