Optical sensing of anions by macrocyclic and interlocked hosts

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

This review summarises recent developments in the use of macrocyclic and mechanically-interlocked host molecules as optical sensors for anions.

Abstract

The ubiquity of anions in biological and environmental systems has motivated the development of many novel anion receptors and sensors over the past two decades. Optical anion sensors, which undergo a spectral change in response to anion binding, are particularly desirable due to the technical simplicity and fast response time of such systems. A myriad of macrocyclic host molecules have been shown to be effective anion receptors and present a promising platform for elaboration into optical anion sensors by incorporation of an appropriate fluorogenic or chromogenic group. The enhanced anion binding properties of the three-dimensional binding cavities in mechanically interlocked host molecules have also been exploited to design anion sensors that exhibit remarkable selectivity and sensitivity. This review summarises recent progress in the development of optical anion sensors based on macrocyclic and interlocked hosts. The major classes of macrocyclic receptors possessing neutral, cationic and metal-based binding motifs are examined, followed by a survey of optically-responsive interlocked anion hosts.

Related collections

Most cited references 133

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Eutrophication science: where do we go from here?

Val Smith, David Schindler (2009)

Cultural eutrophication has become the primary water quality issue for most of the freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems in the world. However, despite extensive research during the past four to five decades, many key questions in eutrophication science remain unanswered. Much is yet to be understood concerning the interactions that can occur between nutrients and ecosystem stability: whether they are stable or not, alternate states pose important complexities for the management of aquatic resources. Evidence is also mounting rapidly that nutrients strongly influence the fate and effects of other non-nutrient contaminants, including pathogens. In addition, it will be important to resolve ongoing debates about the optimal design of nutrient loading controls as a water quality management strategy for estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems.