Why is the Sensory Response of Organic Probes within a Polymer Film Different in Solution and in the Solid-State? Evidence and Application to the Detection of Amino Acids in Human Chronic Wounds.

Saturnino Ibeas,Natalia Moradillo-Renuncio,Victoria Santaolalla-García,Patricia D Peredo-Guzmán,José Miguel García,Aranzazu Mendía,Saúl Vallejos,Marta Guembe-García,Félix Clemente García

doi:10.3390/polym12061249

Saturnino Ibeas, Natalia Moradillo-Renuncio + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061249

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Journal: Polymers	Publication Date: May 29, 2020
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Burgos, Hospital Universitario de Burgos

Abstract

We anchored a colourimetric probe, comprising a complex containing copper (Cu(II)) and a dye, to a polymer matrix obtaining film-shaped chemosensors with induced selectivity toward glycine. This sensory material is exploited in the selectivity detection of glycine in complex mixtures of amino acids mimicking elastin, collagen and epidermis, and also in following the protease activity in a beefsteak and chronic human wounds. We use the term inducing because the probe in solution is not selective toward any amino acid and we get selectivity toward glycine using the solid-state. Overall, we found that the chemical behaviour of a chemical probe can be entirely changed by changing its chemical environment. Regarding its behaviour in solution, this change has been achieved by isolating the probe by anchoring the motifs in a polymer matrix, in an amorphous state, avoiding the interaction of one sensory motif with another. Moreover, this selectivity change can be further tuned because of the effectiveness of the transport of targets both by the physical nature of the interface of the polymer matrix/solution, where the target chemicals are dissolved, for instance, and inside the matrix where the recognition takes place. The interest in chronic human wounds is related to the fact that our methods are rapid and inexpensive, and also considering that the protease activity can correlate with the evolution of chronic wounds.

Highlights

IntroductionIt is well known that chemicals in the solid-state exhibit completely different properties than in solution
From a chemical viewpoint, it is well known that chemicals in the solid-state exhibit completely different properties than in solution
We analyse the behaviour within a solid polymer matrix of a well know dye that has been previously exploited as a probe for detection of amino acids, Chromoxame Cyanine R (D), and take advantage of its different behaviour in this state than in solution to explore the ability of the new solid sensory materials, or polymer chemosensors, to detect and recognise amino acids in complex environments, such as chronic human wounds

Summary

Introduction

It is well known that chemicals in the solid-state exhibit completely different properties than in solution. This is because of the usual dense packaging and inter-molecule interactions in the former and the solvated state in the later, where the interaction of solvent molecules-chemical play a crucial role. This fact is well known and has been intensely exploited for different purposes, e.g., luminescence, for the preparation of cleaners, liquid crystals, catalysts, plasticisers, coatings, buffers, etc. We report on the advantage of the solid polymer chemosensors in the tuning of the properties of the chemical probes and in the manageability of the polymer chemosensors prepared as films, that can be safely managed and stored at ambient conditions even by untrained personnel [7,8,9]

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