Abstract
Fluorescent molecular sensing for endocrine-disrupting chemicals and their analogs has been studied by investigating the fluorescence spectral change of regio-selective dansyl-tosyl-modified β- and γ-cyclodextrins upon the addition of a guest. These host compounds show pure monomer fluorescence at around 526 nm; the intensities of the guest-induced fluorescence either increase or decrease according to the accommodation of such guests as dioxin analogs, p-nonylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, bisphenol A, and diethylphthalate. The extent of the fluorescence variations with the guest is employed to display the sensing abilities of these hosts. The sensing parameter, ΔI/I 0 , was used to describe the sensing ability of the hosts, where I and I 0 are the fluorescence intensities in the presence and absence of a guest and ΔI=I-I 0. These hosts exhibit highly sensitive and selective molecular-recognition ability, particularly for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and bisphenol A.
