Issue 3, 2016

A smart “off–on” gate for the in situ detection of hydrogen sulphide with Cu(ii)-assisted europium emission

Abstract

A water-soluble and emissive Eu-complex (EuL1) bearing a DO3A(Eu3+)–pyridine–aza-crown motif has been prepared and its Cu2+ complex has been demonstrated to be a smart luminescence “off–on” gate for H2S detection in water with a nano-molar detection limit (60 nM). EuL1 binds to Cu2+ ions selectively (KB = 1.2 × 105 M−1) inducing 17-fold luminescence quenching and forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Cu2+), which responds to H2S selectively with restoration of the original Eu emission of EuL1 followed by a further 40-fold luminescence enhancement, forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Na2S, KB = 1.5 × 104 M−1). Without Cu2+ ions, EuL1 showed non-specific binding towards H2S with only a 5-fold luminescence enhancement.

Graphical abstract: A smart “off–on” gate for the in situ detection of hydrogen sulphide with Cu(ii)-assisted europium emission

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
28 Oct 2015
Accepted
07 Dec 2015
First published
07 Dec 2015
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2016,7, 2151-2156

Author version available

A smart “off–on” gate for the in situ detection of hydrogen sulphide with Cu(II)-assisted europium emission

Z. Liang, T. Tsoi, C. Chan, L. Dai, Y. Wu, G. Du, L. Zhu, C. Lee, W. Wong, G. Law and K. Wong, Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 2151 DOI: 10.1039/C5SC04091D

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