Cobalt ion-mediated cysteine detection with a hyperbranched conjugated polyelectrolyte as a new sensing platform.

A highly efficient colorimetric and fluorescence turn-off probe for the sensitive and selective detection of the biologically important amino acid, cysteine (Cys), is demonstrated using a newly synthesized water-soluble hyperbranched polymer (HP) containing sulfonic acid groups. The detection mechanism involves two steps: (i) the slight quenching of HP in the presence of Co(2+) in advance; and (ii) the gradual quenching of the HP-Co(2+) complex according to the concentration of Cys due to the absorption screening effect of the formation of the Cys-Co(2+) complex, which prevents HP from absorbing excitation energy.

Aggregation-deaggregation-triggered, tunable fluorescence of an assay ensemble composed of anionic conjugated polymer and polypeptides by enzymatic catalysis of trypsin.

We prepared a water-soluble conjugated polymer composed of electron-donating units and electron-accepting groups in the backbone. The polymer exhibits a short wavelength (blue) emission in aqueous solution and long wavelength (red) emission in the solid state, because of intermolecular energy transfer. Considering this, we develop a new approach for the sensitive detection of trypsin, which is known to control pancreatic exocrine function, using an ensemble system composed of the anionically charged conjugated polymer and cationically charged polypeptides (such as polylysine and polyarginine). The blue-emitting, water-soluble conjugated polymer becomes aggregated upon exposure to the polypeptides, leading to a red-emitting assay ensemble. The red-emitting assay ensemble becomes dissociated in the conjugated polymer and polypeptide fragments by selective degradation of trypsin, which then exhibits recovery of blue emission. This emission-tuning assay ensemble allows for detection of trypsin at nanomolar concentrations, which enables naked-eye detection. Importantly, this strategy can be employed for label-free, continuous assay for trypsin.

Conjugated polymer dots-on-electrospun fibers as a fluorescent nanofibrous sensor for nerve gas stimulant.

A novel chemical warfare agent sensor based on conjugated polymer dots (CPdots) immobilized on the surface of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-silica nanofibers was prepared with a dots-on-fibers (DoF) hybrid nanostructure via simple electrospinning and subsequent immobilization processes. We synthesized a polyquinoxaline (PQ)-based CP as a highly emissive sensing probe and employed PVA-silica as a host polymer for the elctrospun fibers. It was demonstrated that the CPdots and amine-functionalized electrospun PVA-silica nanofibers interacted via an electrostatic interaction, which was stable under prolonged mechanical force. Because the CPdots were located on the surface of the nanofibers, the highly emissive properties of the CPdots could be maintained and even enhanced, leading to a sensitive turn-off detection protocol for chemical warfare agents. The prepared fluorescent DoF hybrid was quenched in the presence of a chemical warfare agent simulant, due to the electron transfer between the quinoxaline group in the polymer and the organophosphorous simulant. The detection time was almost instantaneous, and a very low limit of detection was observed (∼1.25 × 10(-6) M) with selectivity over other organophosphorous compounds. The DoF hybrid nanomaterial can be developed as a rapid, practical, portable, and stable chemical warfare agent-detecting system and, moreover, can find further applications in other sensing systems simply by changing the probe dots immobilized on the surface of nanofibers.

Highly selective cysteine detection and bioimaging in zebrafish through emission color change of water-soluble conjugated polymer-based assay complex.

A new concept for rapid, label-free cysteine sensing method is proposed via possible naked eye-detection of red-to-blue emission color change. Intermolecular exciton migration in conjugated polyelectrolyte-based assay complex is adopted to enhance selectivity and sensitivity for cysteine sensing by formation and dissociation of polymer-Hg(2+)-thymine assay complex in the absence and presence of cysteine, respectively. The assay complex shows red emission due to cooperative aggregation of conjugated polyelectrolyte, thymine, and Hg(2+). Upon exposure to cysteine, the assay complex dissociates into individual molecules showing transparent, blue-emitting solution, because cysteine extracts Hg(2+) from the assay complex via more favorable binding between cysteine and Hg(2+).