Issue 12, 2019

Supramolecular cages as differential sensors for dicarboxylate anions: guest length sensing using principal component analysis of ESI-MS and 1H-NMR raw data

Abstract

Dynamic covalent libraries (DCLs) have been widely used in the development of differential sensors. Inspired by recent studies which use supramolecular recognition systems for sensing, we report the use of a tris(-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA)-based supramolecular cage as a differential sensor for dicarboxylate anions. In particular, a library of molecular cages constituted by linkers differing in size and flexibility was allowed to equilibrate toward a series of guests differing in molecular size. The differential system was able to discriminate a series of dicarboxylates depending on their chain length. This differentiation was evaluated through the application of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method using interpolated and raw data obtained from ESI-MS. Interestingly, while the 1H NMR spectra of the differential system did not allow for the discrimination of the analytes by the naked eye, PCA of the raw data from the spectra revealed information on the chain length of the guest and also on the odd-even character of the carbon chain.

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular cages as differential sensors for dicarboxylate anions: guest length sensing using principal component analysis of ESI-MS and 1H-NMR raw data

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
11 Dez 2018
Accepted
05 Feb 2019
First published
06 Feb 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 3523-3528

Supramolecular cages as differential sensors for dicarboxylate anions: guest length sensing using principal component analysis of ESI-MS and 1H-NMR raw data

C. Bravin, A. Guidetti, G. Licini and C. Zonta, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 3523 DOI: 10.1039/C8SC05527K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements