Carbazole-imidazole synergy for discriminative BSA sensing and a self-assembled organogel

Abstract

A newly designed imidazole-derived organogelator, CZDIM, demonstrates stimuli-responsive photophysical behaviour and shows high selectivity for detecting bovine serum albumin (BSA). The sensing capabilities of the probe, encompassing dynamic response, sensitivity, and selectivity, have been meticulously examined. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism was elucidated through displacement experiments, synchronous spectroscopy, circular dichroism, time-resolved photoluminescence, and molecular docking. The unique effective response to BSA originated from the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions of the probe via a site-specific interaction at Site II. This study may offer a straightforward method for constructing new probes for BSA with enhanced selectivity.