Abstract
We have previously developed a highly efficient fluorescence-based toxicant-detection method that operates in complex environments to detect aromatic toxicants and toxicant metabolites with high sensitivity and selectivity. This method relies on the ability of γ-cyclodextrin to act as a supramolecular scaffold, and uses a variety of non-covalent interactions between the cyclodextrin, toxicant, and fluorophore to enable efficient detection. Reported herein is an investigation of the effect of various experimental parameters, including host concentration, temperature, pH, salt, and solvent, on the observed energy-transfer efficiencies. These results advance our understanding of γ-cyclodextrin-based association complexes and provide crucial information for the development of fluorescence-based sensors using such complexation and the resultant fluorescence-based detection.
Highlights
Cyclodextrins are supramolecular hosts that are used widely for a variety of applications, including drug delivery [1,2,3], odor neutralization [4], supramolecular catalysis [5,6,7], and toxicant detection [8,9]
We have reported the detection of numerous classes of analytes using these chemosensors, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [18,19], polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [20], pesticides [21], and aliphatic alcohols [22], as well as the ability of such systems to operate in plasma [23], urine [24], and breast milk [25]
If the formation of ternary complexes between the cyclodextrin, analyte, and fluorophore is required for analyte-to-fluorophore energy transfer, one would expect that the efficiency of the observed energy transfer would increase with an increase in the concentration of the cyclodextrin, as ternary complex formation becomes increasingly favorable
Summary
Cyclodextrins are supramolecular hosts that are used widely for a variety of applications, including drug delivery [1,2,3], odor neutralization [4], supramolecular catalysis [5,6,7], and toxicant detection [8,9]. Previous work by our group has demonstrated the use of cyclodextrin host–guest complexes for toxicant detection applications through the promotion of cyclodextrin-based supramolecular complexes between a small molecule toxicant and a high quantum yield organic fluorophore [14]. In such systems, the close proximity of the toxicant and fluorophore facilitates fluorescence energy transfer, with excitation of the toxicant resulting in energy transfer to and emission from the fluorophore [15]. We have reported the detection of numerous classes of analytes using these chemosensors, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [18,19], polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [20], pesticides [21], and aliphatic alcohols [22], as well as the ability of such systems to operate in plasma [23], urine [24], and breast milk [25]
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