Abstract
Aggregation Induced Emission (AIE) is an intriguing photophysical phenomenon exhibited by certain chromophores that are non-emissive in dilute solutions but are induced to emit light upon aggregation. A “Turn-on” emission has been observed in Dodecyl Carbazole-Barbituric acid conjugate (DCBA) with the addition of poor solvent like water. FRET between an AIE luminogen- DCBA as donor and Rh6G as acceptor has been investigated using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies. There is a significant spectral overlap between the AIE emission of DCBA and the absorption spectra of Rh6G in 9:1 water to THF binary solution. DCBA AIE emission quenching upon addition of Rh6G is identified as due to FRET. The energy transfer efficiency is found to increase linearly with acceptor concentration, reaching an optimum efficiency of 43 %. It holds the promise of being a multiple-donor single-acceptor artificial light harvesting antenna, with an antenna effect of 20.5 %. The proposed FRET system demonstrates excellent pH stability in pH range of 3 to 11. This FRET pair can serve as a turn off fluorescent probe in real water samples and live cells for sensing of Hg2+ ions with high sensitivity, selectivity, and low cytotoxicity. The sensor is also effective for paper strip based Hg2+ detection.
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