A novel Lu3+ fluorescent nano-chemosensor using new functionalized mesoporous structures

Graphical abstract: A novel Lu3+ sensitive fluorescent chemosensor is constructed through the preparation of 8-hydroxyquinoline functionalized mesoporous silica with ordered hexagonal array structure (LUS-SPS-Q). Fluorescence measurements revealed that the emission intensity of the Lu3+-bound mesoporous material increases significantly upon addition of various concentrations of Lu3+, while the mono-, di-, trivalent cations result in either unchanged or weakened intensities. Highlights: ► 8-Hydroxyquinoline functionalized mesoporous silica is introduced as a selective fluorescent probe for lutetium ions. ► Fluorescent intensity of the chemical probe enhances upon binding to lutetium ions. ► Fluorescence measurements were done in a suspension of mesoporous silica in aqueous solution. -- Abstract: A new Lu3+ sensitive fluorescent chemosensor is designed using 8-hydroxyquinoline functionalized mesoporous silica with highly ordered structure (LUS-SPS-Q). The characterization of LUS-SPS-Q showed that the organized structure has been preserved after the post grafting procedure. The synthesized material showed a selective interaction with Lu3+ ion, most probably due to the presence of the fluorophore moiety at its surface. The emission intensity of the Lu3+-bound mesoporous material increases with an increase in concentrations of Lu3+ ion. Addition of other mono-, di-, trivalent ions resulted in insignificant change in the fluorescent intensity. The enhancement of fluorescence is attributed to the strong covalent binding of Lu3+ ion. The linear response range of Lu3+ chemo-sensor was from 1.6 × 10−7 to 1.0 × 10−5 mol L−1. The Limit of detection obtained was 8.2 × 10−8 mol L−1 and the pH range which the proposed chemo-sensor can be applied was 3.3–8.3