A new spiropyran derivative was synthesized and first utilized in a polymericfilm-based optical sensor for zinc ion. Spiropyrans, combining the characteristics of metal bindingand signal transduction, show potential function in the design of optical chemical sensors(optodes) toward metal ions. When embedded in a plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane,the newly synthesized spiropyran derivative 1 exhibits obvious fluorescence enhancement at 630 nm inthe presence of zinc ion in aqueous solution. With the optimum condition described, the optodemembrane responds to zinc ion over a dynamic range of 4.94x10^(-7) to 4.15x10^(-4)mol·L^(-1), witha detection limit of 1.51x10^(-7) mol·L^(-1). The membrane not only displays excellentphotostability, reproducibility and reversibility, but also exhibits high selectivity toward zincion over transition metal ions including Hg^(2+), Cd^(2+), Pb^(2+), Cu^(2+), Fe^(3+) and commoncationic ions presented in the physiological fluids.
ZHANG Ying1, SHAO Na1, YANG Ronghua1, LI Ke’an1, LIU Feng1, CHAN Winghong2 & MO Tian2 1. College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
