Synthesis and characterization of a new organic nanoparticle as fluorescent chemosensor for aluminum ions

A new macrocyclic ligand (L) was synthesized and characterized with spectroscopic techniques. Its nanoparticles were prepared by nanoprecipitation method. The averaged size of the synthesized nanoparticles in the optimized conditions was about 50 nm. The nanoparticles exhibit an off-on type mode with high selectivity in the presence of Al3+ ions. The organic nanoparticles (L) could be used as Al3+ chemosensor in aqueous media. Upon binding of Al3+ with the nanoparticles, a significant fluorescence enhancement with a turn-on ratio over 15-fold was triggered. However, other metal ions had no such significant effect on the nano-chemosensor. The detection limit of nanoparticles L for Al3+ was as low as 2.8 x 10(-7) M. Application of the nano-chemosensor (L) was also studied as molecular logic gate. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.