A novel near-infrared optical and redox-active receptor for the multi-model detection of Hg2+ in water and living cells.

A key issue for constructing optical and redox-active receptors is how to conjugate a specific sensing kernel with a multi-signal-responsive system to carry out multi-feature analysis. Mercury is considered to be highly toxic to human health and ecological security. In this work, we present a novel near-infrared optical and redox-active receptor that can sense Hg2+ at ppb level in aqueous media via multi-model monitors with a low detection limit of 8.4 × 10-9 M (1.68 ppb). This receptor features a visible detection, 'off-on' fluorescence response, and efficient electrochemistry assessment, as well as pH-insensitivity to Hg2+ with high sensitivity. In view of its marked near-infrared emission and fluorescence enhancement, we successfully applied this receptor to visualize Hg2+ in live cells. Furthermore, a possible sensing model was established and rationalized with theoretical studies.

New Pyridine-Bridged Ferrocene-Rhodamine Receptor for the Multifeature Detection of Hg2+ in Water and Living Cells.

A challenge in the design of optical and redox-active receptors is how to combine a specific recognition center with an efficient responsive system to facilely achieve multifeature detection in biological and environmental analyses. Herein, a novel ferrocene-rhodamine receptor conjugated with a pyridine bridge was designed and synthesized. This receptor can sensitively sense Hg2+ in aqueous media via chromogenic, fluorogenic, and electrochemical multisignal outputs with a low detection limit and fast response time. Moreover, it can be qualified as a fluorescent probe for effectively monitoring Hg2+ in living cells. A plausible recognition mode was proposed and rationalized with theoretical calculations.

Rapid microwave synthesis of dioxin-linked covalent organic framework for efficient micro-extraction of perfluorinated alkyl substances from water.

To synthesize covalent organic framework (COF) via irreversible reactions is more challenging than by reversible ones. In this work, microwave-assisted synthesis is used to facilitate the nucleophilic substitution of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-pyridinecarbonitrile with 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxy triphenylene. The dioxin-linked COF, named TH-COF, was efficiently synthesized with extraordinarily large surface area of 1254 m2 g-1. With its high crystallinity, excellent thermal and chemical stabilities, TH-COF is used as the coating for the solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs). The adsorptive mechanism was evaluated with adsorption isotherm and kinetic adsorption. Adsorption energies are calculated based on the density functional theory. Following SPME with TH-COF-coated fibers, PFASs were eluted using 1 mL of 0.6% trifluoroacetic acid/methanol and analyzed through the ultra-performance liquid chromatography equipped with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). When applied to spiked real water samples, this method demonstrates good linearity (0.01-1000 ng L-1) with R2 ≥ 0.9945. The TH-COF-SPME-UPLC-MS/MS technique provides low limits of detection (0.0020-0.0045 ng L-1), excellent precision (≤ 7.9%), and good fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (≤ 7.1%). The TH-COF-coated fibers can be reused at least 20 times without the loss of extraction performance. In addition, the relative recoveries from spiked real water samples are 89.5%-105%.

Amino-modified covalent organic framework as solid phase extraction absorbent for determination of carboxylic acid pesticides in environmental water samples.

The amino-modified covalent organic framework (NH2@COF) was synthesized via the thiol-ene click reaction of vinyl covalent organic framework (COF) with 4-aminobenzenethiol. The introduction of amino groups can interact with the anionic headgroup of carboxylic acid pesticides. Moreover, ample hydrophilic surface area can boost absorption in the water media. The NH2@COF was fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Compared with vinyl COF and four commercial absorbents, the NH2@COF shows higher extraction efficiency for carboxylic acid pesticides. The solid phase extraction (SPE) conditions, involving flow rate, ionic strength, sample pH, desorption solvent, and desorption solvent volume, were optimized in details. Under the optimized conditions, the NH2@COF was successfully applied for the enrichment and determination of six carboxylic acid pesticides in environmental water samples combined with high performance liquid chromatography. The method features wide linearity (0.2-100 ng mL-1, r > 0.999), low limits of quantification (0.04-0.20 ng mL-1), and excellent precision (RSDs ≤ 8.7%). The recoveries range from 89.6% to 102.4% with RSDs ≤ 7.1%. Therefore, the NH2@COF-SPE method is an efficient pretreatment procedure and can be utilized for the selective extraction of carboxylic acid pesticides from environmental water samples.

Preparation and Reactivation of Heterogeneous Palladium Catalysts and Applications in Sonogashira, Suzuki, and Heck Reactions in Aqueous Media.

A new type of heterogeneous palladium catalyst, PdMgAl-LDH, was facilely prepared by the immobilization of Pd2+ species in the layers of a Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) with co-precipitation, and then fully characterized by using powder XRD, thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis, TEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. These catalysts can efficiently catalyze copper-free Sonogashira, Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions of various aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides in aqueous media under phosphine-ligand- and organic-base-free conditions. These catalysts feature easy recovery through simple filtration and could be reused at least six times without a marked loss in activity. Notably, they can be facilely reactivated by a combination of nitrolysis with co-precipitation. The basic LDH skeletons could effectively stabilize the Pd0 species created in situ and donate electron density to the Pd0 center to facilitate the oxidative addition of aryl halides, thus the PdMgAl-LDH catalysts are stable during catalysis.

A water-compatible magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective extraction of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone from human urine.

An accurate, rapid, and sensitive method for the determination of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone in urine samples was developed by combining water-compatible magnetic molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction with high performance liquid chromatography. Several variables relating to the efficiency of magnetic solid phase extraction were optimized, including the amount of adsorbent, adsorption time, type of elution solvent, and desorption time. The analytical performance of this method was validated under the optimized conditions. The linearity for risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone was obtained in the range 1-2000ngmL-1 with correlation coefficient ≥ 0.991. Limits of detection of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone are 0.21ngmL-1 and 0.24ngmL-1, respectively. Recoveries at three spike levels (10, 100, and 1000ngmL-1) ranged from 94.6% to 102.4% with relative standard deviations (%) ≤ 5.3. These results confirmed that this method can be successfully and facilely used to analyze the multi-residues of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone in urine samples with high efficiency and good sensitivity.