Abstract
A coumarin-based probe, FP2, was designed for the differential detection of fluoride anions and thiols, i.e., the corresponding nucleophilic substitution products from fluorine-containing G agents and sulfur-containing V agents, thus having the potential to discriminate between these two nerve agents. FP2 with two functional reaction groups, α, β-unsaturated ketone and silyl groups, can react selectively with fluoride anions and thiols at the μM level respectively. Intriguingly, in the THF solution, FP2 reacts with the fluoride anion but not with the thiol, whereas in the EtOH/HEPES solution, FP2 reacts with the thiol but not with the fluoride anion. As a result, FP2 can produce different fluorophores in the two detection solutions, thus displaying significant fluorescence changes. In addition, the FP2 detection system can show a significant color change from colorless to yellow within seconds when detecting fluoride anions in THF detection solutions, and from yellow to light blue when detecting thiols in EtOH/HEPES solutions, which will facilitate visual detection by emergency responders at the scene of an incident involving a nerve agent.
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This work is financially supported by the State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian (SKLNBC2013–01 K).
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Wu WH and Jiang ZG conceived the research and designed experiments. Wang X, Zong L and Li D synthesized and analyzed the molecule of FP2. Wang X, Zong L, Xiao YH, Sui SH, Li J, Liu M, Luo T and Chen GY performed fluorescence measurements, UV-Vis measurements and MS analysis. Liu M and Wang XM organized all figures and schemes in the manuscript and provided assistance for designing experiments. The manuscript was written by Wu WH and Jiang ZG. All authors contributed to revising and editing the manuscript.
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Wu, Wh., Wang, X., Zong, L. et al. A Fluorogenic and Chromogenic Probe Distinguishes Fluoride Anions and Thiols: Implications for Discrimination of Fluoride-Containing G Series and Sulfur-Containing V Series Nerve Agents. J Fluoresc 31, 141–149 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02644-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02644-6