Application of anionic micelle for dramatic enhancement in the quenching-based metal ion fluorosensing

We introduce a simple and efficient strategy to enhance the efficiency of a quenching-based fluorosensor for metal ions by several orders of magnitude by using commercially available anionic surfactants varying hydrophobic chain length. Anionic surfactants with a proper choice of hydrophobic chain length at their optimum concentrations are efficient to boost up the efficiency of copper ion sensor dramatically. This simple and convenient strategy is, in general, applicable to quenching-based fluorosensors, new or established, in aqueous solution. It is powerful enough to transform a virtually non-sensor fluorophore to a sensor with a commendable efficiency with the help of proper surfactant. Thus, in this communication, light has been thrown on the application of surfactants toward increasing fluorosensing efficiency of a quenching based sensor.

Graphical abstractSensing efficiency of quenching-based fluorosensors has been enhanced dramatically by using anionic micelles. The simple strategy is powerful enough to enable a cationic fluorophore to an efficient sensor for cations.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide