Ultrasensitive detection of thiophenol based on a water-soluble pyrenyl probe

Publication date: 1 August 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 185
Author(s): Zhiyi Yao, Wenqi Ge, Mingwei Guo, Keren Xiao, Yadong Qiao, Zhong Cao, Hai-Chen Wu
We report a simple pyrene-based fluorescent probe, sodium 8-(2,4-dinitrophenoxy)pyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (HPTS-DNP), for the ultrasensitive and visual detection of thiophenol in 100% aqueous media. The sensing mechanism of this method is based on nucleophilic aromatic substitution on HPTS-DNP caused by thiophenol to afford a highly fluorescent product, 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid trisodium salt (HPTS). The extremely low fluorescence background of HPTS-DNP and high quantum yield of HPTS ensure the superior sensing performance toward thiophenol, including rapid responses, off-on detection mode and excellent sensitivity. The detection limit is as low as 0.49 nmol L⁻¹ according to the measurements with a spectrofluorimeter. This probe also features good selectivity (response ratio of thiophenol to interferents >30), precision (2.93%) and accuracy (102%). This approach could be applied for monitoring the thiophenol concentrations in environmental water samples. HPTS-DNP also showed good cell permeation capacity and low cellular cytotoxicity, indicating further application in bioimaging studies.

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