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Polymers for Chemosensing II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 October 2022) | Viewed by 22561

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 32003, Taiwan
Interests: polymer modifications; radical polymerzation; self assembly; organic/inrganic composites ; polymer coatings; biomedical applications
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Guest Editor
Institute of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Research and Development Center of Smart Textile Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
Interests: electrospun nanofiber technology; optoelectronic polymers and sensing device; biomedical polymers and tissue engineering; metal-ions sensing fluorescent filters

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Polymers is dedicated to the synthesis and functionalization of polymers for chemosensing. Recently, the development of conjugated and biomedical polymers has attracted increasing attention because of their use as highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensors for sensing various analytes and detecting metal ions and biological species in environmental applications by applying color or fluorescence intensities. The targets of fluorescent polymeric probes have extended from chemical species (e.g., ions and molecules) to physical parameters (e.g., temperature and pH). Fluorescent polymeric chemosensors are occasionally superior to small organic and inorganic fluorescent chemosensors in terms of sensitivity, robustness, and multiple functionalities. For instance, the chemical signals that are converted into electronic or optical signals when these polymers bind with an analyte can be transformed and enhanced effectively.

This Special Issue is a platform for all researchers to develop a novel fluorescent polymeric probe and to establish a new analytical method using a conventional fluorescent polymeric probe. This issue covers the synthesis, characterization, and chemosensory properties of polymers and hybrid organic-inorganic polymer composites. Contributions related to molecular design, synthesis, processing, and applications, together with those devoted to structure/property correlations of polymers and polymer composites, will be welcomed. The aim of this issue is to update recent knowledge and broaden our perspective on polymers in chemosensing for environmental and medical applications. We want to promote the previous Special Issue, Polymers for Chemosensing (https://www.mdpi.com/si/polymers/polymersforchemosensing). At the same time, we intend to continue collecting valuable papers encompassing this popular topic through this newly opened Special Issue to popularize the work among scholars.

Prof. Po-Chih Yang
Prof. Chi-Ching Kuo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymer synthesis 
  • polymer composites 
  • optical properties 
  • fluorescent chemosensors 
  • functional materials
  • fluorescence enhancement/fluorescence quenching 
  • charge transfer/electron transfer

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3523 KiB  
Article
Alginic Acid Beads Containing Fluorescent Solvatochromic Dyes Display an Emission Color Response to a Cationic Surfactant
by Kazuki Kishi, Amane Ichimura, Zhang Shuai, Yu Otsuka, Tatsuya Morozumi and Koji Yamada
Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4649; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214649 - 1 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1862
Abstract
Lipophilic fluorescent dyes can be employed as sensors for surfactants present in concentrations above the critical micellar concentration (CMC) where the dyes are monodispersed in micelles. However, the surfactant concentration range over which these dyes are effective is narrowed because by the sigmoidal [...] Read more.
Lipophilic fluorescent dyes can be employed as sensors for surfactants present in concentrations above the critical micellar concentration (CMC) where the dyes are monodispersed in micelles. However, the surfactant concentration range over which these dyes are effective is narrowed because by the sigmoidal nature of their responses. To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel sensor material comprised of a labeled fluorescent solvatochromic dye covalently bonded to alginate gel, which is known to strongly adsorb cationic surfactants. We hypothesized that the dye-alginate conjugate would undergo fluorescent color changes in response to binding of surfactants which alter the polarity of the surrounding environment. Indeed, addition of the representative cationic surfactant, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), to an aqueous solution of the alginate conjugated fluorescent solvatochromic dye leads to a visible fluorescent color change when the concentration of CPC is below the CMC. The average values of the color appearance parameter, referred to as a hue, of light emitted from gels, calculated by analysis of fluorescence microscopy images using ImageJ software, were found to be approximately linearly dependent on the concentration of CPC encapsulated in the alginate-fluorescent dye complex. This finding shows that absorbed CPC can be quantitatively determined over a wide concentration range in the form of simple fluorescence wavelength or visible responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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14 pages, 3906 KiB  
Article
Novel NBN-Embedded Polymers and Their Application as Fluorescent Probes in Fe3+ and Cr3+ Detection
by Tao Li, Yu-Jing Sheng, Xiao-Li Sun, Wen-Ming Wan, Yanru Liu, Qingrong Qian and Qinghua Chen
Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14102025 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2173
Abstract
The isosteric replacement of C═C by B–N units in conjugated organic systems has recently attracted tremendous interest due to its desirable optical, electronic and sensory properties. Compared with BN-, NBN- and BNB-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, NBN-embedded polymers are poised to expand the diversity [...] Read more.
The isosteric replacement of C═C by B–N units in conjugated organic systems has recently attracted tremendous interest due to its desirable optical, electronic and sensory properties. Compared with BN-, NBN- and BNB-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, NBN-embedded polymers are poised to expand the diversity and functionality of olefin polymers, but this new class of materials remain underexplored. Herein, a series of polymers with BNB-doped π-system as a pendant group were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization from NBN-containing vinyl monomers, which was prepared via intermolecular dehydration reaction between boronic acid and diamine moieties in one pot. Poly{2-(4-Vinylphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho[1,8-de][1,3,2]diazaborinine} (P1), poly{N-(4-(1H-naphtho[1,8-de][1,3,2]diazaborinin-2(3H)-yl)phenyl)acrylamide} (P2) and poly{N-(4-(1H-benzo[d][1,3,2]diazaborol-2(3H)-yl)phenyl)acrylamide} (P3) were successfully synthesized. Their structure, photophysical properties and application in metal ion detection were investigated. Three polymers exhibit obvious solvatochromic fluorescence. As fluorescent sensors for the detection of Fe3+ and Cr3+, P1 and P2 show excellent selectivity and sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) achieved by Fe3+ is 7.30 nM, and the LOD achieved by Cr3+ is 14.69 nM, which indicates the great potential of these NBN-embedded polymers as metal fluorescence sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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11 pages, 2899 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical MIP Sensor for Butyrylcholinesterase
by Goksu Ozcelikay, Sevinc Kurbanoglu, Xiaorong Zhang, Cagla Kosak Soz, Ulla Wollenberger, Sibel A. Ozkan, Aysu Yarman and Frieder W. Scheller
Polymers 2019, 11(12), 1970; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11121970 - 30 Nov 2019
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 5277
Abstract
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) mimic the binding sites of antibodies by substituting the amino acid-scaffold of proteins by synthetic polymers. In this work, the first MIP for the recognition of the diagnostically relevant enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is presented. The MIP was prepared using [...] Read more.
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) mimic the binding sites of antibodies by substituting the amino acid-scaffold of proteins by synthetic polymers. In this work, the first MIP for the recognition of the diagnostically relevant enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is presented. The MIP was prepared using electropolymerization of the functional monomer o-phenylenediamine and was deposited as a thin film on a glassy carbon electrode by oxidative potentiodynamic polymerization. Rebinding and removal of the template were detected by cyclic voltammetry using ferricyanide as a redox marker. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity of BuChE rebound to the MIP was measured via the anodic oxidation of thiocholine, the reaction product of butyrylthiocholine. The response was linear between 50 pM and 2 nM concentrations of BuChE with a detection limit of 14.7 pM. In addition to the high sensitivity for BuChE, the sensor responded towards pseudo-irreversible inhibitors in the lower mM range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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16 pages, 3601 KiB  
Article
A Novel Application of Electroactive Polyimide Doped with Gold Nanoparticles: As a Chemiresistor Sensor for Hydrogen Sulfide Gas
by Lee Marvin G. Padua, Jui-Ming Yeh and Karen S. Santiago
Polymers 2019, 11(12), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11121918 - 21 Nov 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4069
Abstract
This research paper presents a new application of electroactive polyimide doped with gold nanoparticles (PI/AuNPs) as a chemiresistor sensor for detecting hydrogen sulfide gas. The synthesis of PI/AuNPs was done in a simple 3-step process of polymerization using the as prepared amine-capped aniline [...] Read more.
This research paper presents a new application of electroactive polyimide doped with gold nanoparticles (PI/AuNPs) as a chemiresistor sensor for detecting hydrogen sulfide gas. The synthesis of PI/AuNPs was done in a simple 3-step process of polymerization using the as prepared amine-capped aniline trimer (ACAT), followed by imidization, and doping. Spectral analyses via FTIR, LC-MS and 1H-NMR confirmed the formation of amine-capped aniline trimer with a MW of 288 g mol−1. Comparison of ACAT, BSAA, and PI FTIR spectra showed successful polymerization of the last, while XRD validated the incorporation of metal nanoparticles onto the polymer matrix, showing characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to gold. Furthermore, TEM, and FE-SEM revealed the presence of well-dispersed Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 60 nm. The electroactive PI/AuNPs-based sensor showed a sensitivity of 0.29% ppm−1 H2S at a linear concentration range of 50 to 300 ppm H2S (r = 0.9777). The theoretical limit of detection was found at 0.142 ppm or 142 ppb H2S gas. The sensor provided a stable response reading at an average response time of 43 ± 5 s, which was easily recovered after an average time of 99 ± 5 s. The sensor response was highly repeatable and reversible, with RSD values of 8.88%, and 8.60%, respectively. Compared with the performance of the conventional conducting polyaniline also doped with gold nanoparticles (PANI/AuNPs), the fabricated electroactive PI/AuNPs exhibited improved sensing performance making it a potential candidate in monitoring H2S in the environment and for work-related safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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15 pages, 5769 KiB  
Article
A Highly Selective Turn-on and Reversible Fluorescent Chemosensor for Al3+ Detection Based on Novel Salicylidene Schiff Base-Terminated PEG in Pure Aqueous Solution
by Liping Bai, Yuhang Xu, Guang Li, Shuhui Tian, Leixuan Li, Farong Tao, Aixia Deng, Shuangshuang Wang and Liping Wang
Polymers 2019, 11(4), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11040573 - 27 Mar 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3607
Abstract
The development of highly selective and sensitive chemosensors for Al3+ detection in pure aqueous solution is still a significant challenge. In this work, a novel water-soluble polymer PEGBAB based on salicylidene Schiff base has been designed and synthesized as a turn-on fluorescent [...] Read more.
The development of highly selective and sensitive chemosensors for Al3+ detection in pure aqueous solution is still a significant challenge. In this work, a novel water-soluble polymer PEGBAB based on salicylidene Schiff base has been designed and synthesized as a turn-on fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of Al3+ in 100% aqueous solution. PEGBAB exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity to Al3+ over other competitive metal ions with the detection limit as low as 4.05 × 10−9 M. PEGBAB displayed high selectivity to Al3+ in the pH range of 5–10. The fluorescence response of PEGBAB to Al3+ was reversible in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Based on the fluorescence response, an INHIBIT logic gate was constructed with Al3+ and EDTA as two inputs. Moreover, test strips based on PEGBAB were fabricated facilely for convenient on-site detection of Al3+. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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16 pages, 5729 KiB  
Article
Novel Multifunctional Luminescent Electrospun Fluorescent Nanofiber Chemosensor-Filters and Their Versatile Sensing of pH, Temperature, and Metal Ions
by Bo-Yu Chen, Yen-Chen Lung, Chi-Ching Kuo, Fang-Cheng Liang, Tien-Liang Tsai, Dai-Hua Jiang, Toshifumi Satoh and Ru-Jong Jeng
Polymers 2018, 10(11), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10111259 - 13 Nov 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4290
Abstract
Novel multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors composed of electrospun (ES) nanofibers with high sensitivity toward pH, mercury ions (Hg2+), and temperature were prepared from poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-N-methylolacrylamide-co-rhodamine derivative) (poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA-co-RhBN2AM)) by employing an electrospinning [...] Read more.
Novel multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors composed of electrospun (ES) nanofibers with high sensitivity toward pH, mercury ions (Hg2+), and temperature were prepared from poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-N-methylolacrylamide-co-rhodamine derivative) (poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA-co-RhBN2AM)) by employing an electrospinning process. NIPAAm and NMA moieties provide hydrophilic and thermo-responsive properties (absorption of Hg2+ in aqueous solutions), and chemical cross-linking sites (stabilization of the fibrous structure in aqueous solutions), respectively. The fluorescent probe, RhBN2AM is highly sensitive toward pH and Hg2+. The synthesis of poly(NIPAAm-co-NMA-co-RhBN2AM) with different compositions was carried on via free-radical polymerization. ES nanofibers prepared from sensory copolymers with a 71.1:28.4:0.5 NIPAAm:NMA:RhBN2AM ratio (P3 ES nanofibers) exhibited significant color change from non-fluorescent to red fluorescence while sensing pH (the λPL, max exhibited a 4.8-fold enhancement) or Hg2+ (at a constant Hg2+ concentration (10−3 M), the λPL, max of P3-fibers exhibited 4.7-fold enhancement), and high reversibility of on/off switchable fluorescence emission at least five times when Hg2+ and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were sequentially added. The P3 ES nanofibrous membranes had a higher surface-to-volume ratio to enhance their performance than did the corresponding thin films. In addition, the fluorescence emission of P3 ES nanofibrous membranes exhibited second enhancement above the lower critical solution temperature. Thus, the ES nanofibrous membranes prepared from P3 with on/off switchable capacity and thermo-responsive characteristics can be used as a multifunctional sensory device for specific heavy transition metal (HTM) in aqueous solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Chemosensing II)
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