RESUMO

Ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose (EHEC) and a silica-based xerogel (SBX) were functionalized with a (18-crown-6)-styrylpyridine precursor (1) to obtain the modified polymers EHEC-1 and SBX-1, respectively. Films were obtained and the resulting materials were used as fluorogenic devices for the detection of Hg2+ in water. The films produced from EHEC-1 showed high water retention, making it difficult to apply as a reusable optical chemosensor. Since SBXs are recognized in the literature for their hydrophobicity, a hybrid film composed of EHEC and SBX-1 which did not show water retention was produced and characterized. This system showed rapid response time, outstanding selectivity compared to several other studied metal ions, and sensitivity for the detection of Hg2+ in water. The detection limit for this material using fluorescence technique was 2 ppb (∼10-8 mol L-1). The reversibility of the complex formed between EHEC-SBX-1 film and Hg2+ was demonstrated by the addition of cysteine to the medium. The result obtained also allowed the assembly of INHIBIT and IMPLICATION molecular logic gates, using Hg2+ and cysteine as inputs. The results described in this article have important significance in the development of novel reversible fluorogenic chemosensors and adsorbent materials for the effective removal of Hg2+ ions.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Films of three polymers, based on ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose functionalized with protonated perichromic dyes, were used for anion sensing. The polymer functionalized with protonated Brooker's merocyanine acts as a chromogenic/fluorogenic system for the selective detection of cyanide in water. An increase of >28 times was verified for the fluorescence lifetime of the sensing units in the polymer in comparison with protonated Brooker's merocyanine in water. Moreover, an increase in the pKa values was verified for the sensing units in the polymers. Data suggest that the hydrocarbonic polymeric chains provide an adequate microenvironment to protect the sensing unit from bulk water. The other polymer, functionalized with an iminophenol, also showed high selectivity for cyanide (detection limit=9.36×10-6molL-1 and quantification limit=3.12×10-5molL-1). The polymer functionalized with azophenol units is unable for the detection of cyanide, due to the low pKa value verified for its chromogenic units.

RESUMO

Some aspects of ethyl (hydroxyethyl) cellulose (EHEC) aqueous behavior in the presence of ionic surfactants are described in the literature; however, most of the studies reported address moderately concentrated solutions. Few studies have been carried out in the dilute regime using mixtures of biosurfactants. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the interaction of EHEC in the dilute regime and to verify the mixture of two surfactants: sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) and sodium dodecanoate (SDoD). The parameters of the surfactant to polymer association processes such as the critical aggregation concentration (cac) and saturation of the polymer by surfactants (psp) were determined from the plots of surface tension and specific conductivity versus surfactant concentration in basic conditions. The cmc of NaDC-SDoD mixtures showed non-ideal behavior. However, EHEC added to mixtures of SDoD and NaDC acts as a stabilizer for the mixed aggregate during the association process.

Assuntos