Design and synthesis of two new terbium and europium complex‐based luminescent probes for the selective detection of zinc ions. (5th June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Waheed, Abdul; Abdel‐Azeim, Safwat; Ullah, Nisar; Oladepo, Sulayman A.
• Is Part Of: Luminescence. Volume 35:Number 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1238
• Page End: 1247
• Publication Date: 2020-06-05
• Subjects: europium complex -- luminescent probe -- terbium complex -- zinc chemosensor -- zinc ions; Luminescence -- Periodicals; Bioluminescence -- Periodicals; Chemiluminescence -- Periodicals; Luminescence -- Periodicals; 535.35
• DOI: 10.1002/bio.3883
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1522-7235

Abstract

Abstract: Zinc plays a key role in many physiological processes and has implications for the environment. Consequently, detection of chelatable zinc ion (Zn 2+ ) has attracted widespread interest from the research community. Lanthanide‐based luminescent probes offer particular advantages, such as high water solubility, long luminescence lifetimes and a large Stokes' shift, over common organic dye‐based fluorescent sensors. Here, we report the synthesis of terbium and europium complex‐based probes, Tb‐1 and Eu‐1, for sensitive and selective detection of Zn 2+ in water. These probes featured the incorporation of bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)]amine (DPA) receptor for Zn 2+ chelation and the 1, 4, 7‐tris(carboxymethyl)‐1, 4, 7, 10‐tetraazacyclododecane (DO3A) ring to chelate lanthanide (Ln 3+ ). Tb‐1 and Eu‐1 displayed high selectivity for Zn 2+ ions over a wide range of competing ions, with limits of detection of 0.50 ± 0.1 μM and 1.5 ± 0.01 μM, respectively. Density functional theory simulations were in good agreement with experimental observations, displaying high Zn 2+ selectivity compared with most competing ions. In the competing ions experiments, the luminescence response of Tb‐1 and Eu‐1 was moderately quenched by some ions such as Cu 2+, this was linked to the comparable binding abilities of these ions for the receptor of the probe.