T. Sanjoy Singh

A highly efficient and selective coumarin based fluorescent probe for colorimetric detection of Fe3+ and fluorescence dual sensing of Zn2+ and Cu2+

A new coumarin based Schiff-base chemosensor, (E)-7-(((8-hydroxyquinoline-2-yl)methylene)amino)-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-chromen-2-one (H12L) was designed and synthesized. This chemosensor was evaluated as a colorimetric sensor for Fe3+ and fluorescence “turn on–off” response to Zn2+ and Cu2+ using steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. In the presence of Fe3+ and Zn2+, the absorption intensity as well as the fluorescence emission intensity increases drastically compared to other surveyed metal ions, with a distinct color change which provides naked eye detection. However, in the presence of Cu2+, it also exhibits quenching of fluorescence emission intensity which may be due to the paramagnetic nature of Cu2+ ions. The stoichiometric ratio and binding constant were calculated using the Benesi–Hildebrand relation and Jobs plot analyses, giving 1 : 1 stoichiometry. The interaction and binding nature of H12L with Zn2+ ions was further confirmed by 1H NMR titration assay and ESI-mass spectral analysis. The reversibility of H12L was also studied using EDTA as a chelating ligand. Moreover, H12L exhibits two INHIBIT logic gates with two different chemical inputs (i) Zn2+ (IN1) and Cu2+ (IN2) and (ii) Zn2+ (IN1) and EDTA (IN2) and the emission as output. Again, an IMPLICATION logic gate is obtained with Cu2+ and EDTA as chemical inputs and emission as the output mode. Both H12L and metal-complexes were optimized using density functional theory and vibrational frequency calculations confirm that both are at local minima on the potential energy surfaces. The corresponding energy difference between the HOMOs and LUMOs of H12L, Zn-complex and Cu-complex are found to be 2.11, 0.81 and 0.17 eV, respectively.

A highly sensitive and selective fluorescent chemosensor for detection of Zn2+ based on a Schiff base

A Schiff-base fluorescent probe - 2-((E)-(quinolin-8-ylimino)methyl)quinolin-8-ol (H7L) was synthesized and evaluated as a chemoselective Zn2+ sensor. Upon treatment with Zn2+, the complexation of H7L with Zn2+ resulted in a red shift with a pronounced enhancement in the fluorescence emission intensity in ethanol solution. Moreover, other common alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal ions failed to induce response or minimal spectral changes. Notably, this chemosensor could distinguish clearly Zn2+ from Cd2+. Fluorescence studies on H7L and H7L-Zn2+ complex reveal that the quantum yield strongly increases upon coordination. The stoichiometric ratio and association constant were evaluated using Benesi-Hildebrand relation giving 1:1 stoichiometry. This further corroborated 1:1 complex formation based on Jobs plot analyses. This chemosensor exhibits a very good fluorescence sensing ability to Zn2+ over a wide range of pH.

Fluorescence Behavior of Schiff Base-N, N′-bis(salicylidene) Trans 1, 2-Diaminocyclohexane in Proteinous and Micellar Environments

Fluorescence properties of N, N′-bis(salicylidene) trans 1, 2-diaminocyclohexane (H2L) is used to probe the anionic (SDS), cationic (CTAB) and nonionic (TX-100) micelles as well as in serum albumins (BSA and HSA) and chicken egg white lysozyme (LYZ) by steady state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence band intensity was found to increase with concomitant blue-shift with gradual addition of different surfactants. All the experimental results suggest that the probe molecule resides in the micelle-water interface rather than going into the micellar core. However, the penetration is more towards the micellar hydrocarbon core in nonionic surfactant (TX-100) while comparing with ionic surfactants (SDS and CTAB). Several mean microscopic properties such as critical micelle concentration, polarity parameters and binding constant were calculated in presence of different surfactants. The decrease in nonradiative decay rate constants in micellar environments indicates restricted motion of the probe inside the micellar nanocages with increasing fluorescence emission intensity and quantum yields. Further in this work, we also investigated the interaction behavior of the probe with different proteins at low concentrations under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). Stern–Volmer analysis of the tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence quenching data in presence of probe reveals Stern–Volmer constant (Ksv) as well as bimolecular quenching rate constant (Kq). The binding constant as well as the number of binding sites of the probe with proteins were also monitored and found to be 1:1 stoichiometry ratio.