A Tool, an App and a Field: Fluorescent PET Sensors, Blood Electrolyte Analysis and Molecular Logic as Products of Supramolecular Photoscience from Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka

The general tool of fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensors/switches - a molecular design principle with engineering features - is outlined, with the aid of frontier orbital energy diagrams. Fluorophores such as anthracene, 1,3-diaryl-Delta(2)-pyrazolines and 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides are employed within this system, alongside receptors such as amines, carboxylates, crown ethers and amino acids. This tool appealed to a multinational corporation for building a medical analyzer for electrolytes such as Na+, K+, Ca2+ and gases like CO2, which became a commercially successful application. Finally, the tool was a springboard for chemistry to cross into computer science. The field of molecular logic can elucidate how molecules inside us handle information. Molecular examples of the simplest logic gates such as YES, NOT, OR, AND are described. A case of a human-level computation - visual edge detection - is also included.

Automated summary

The general tool of fluorescent PET sensors/switches, based on molecular design principle with engineering features, is explained using frontier orbital energy diagrams. Fluorophores such as anthracene, 1,3-diaryl-Delta(2)-pyrazolines and 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides are used along with receptors like amines, carboxylates, crown ethers and amino acids. This tool was widely adopted by a multinational corporation to develop a medical analyzer for electrolytes and gases, achieving commercial success. Moreover, it served as a springboard for the integration of chemistry and computer science through the field of molecular logic, which explores how molecules process information within our body. Molecular examples of simple logic gates and human-level computation of visual edge detection are also discussed.