Thenoyl Triflouroacetone (TTA)-Carbon dot/Aerogels vs. Polydiacetylene (PDA)/TTA Vesicles Nanostraucture Arrays for Radionuclide Sensing

Ofra Paz Tal, Chemistry Department, Nuclear Research Center-Negev, Beer-Sheva , Israel
Susmita Dolai, Department of Chemistry & Ilse Katz Institute for Nanotechnology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Reut Israeli, Department of Chemistry & Ilse Katz Institute for Nanotechnology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Raz Jelinek, Department of Chemistry & Ilse Katz Institute for Nanotechnology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

While laboratory assays e.g., mass-spectrometry-based techniques are currently available for radionuclides , simple, inexpensive, and easily-applicable field devices for on-site detection have not yet introduced. Accordingly, development of an on-site sensing platform for soluble ion metals would have significant practical benefits.

We present a new selective colorimetric/fluorescent sensors for lanthanide and actinide metal ion e.g., UO22+, Sm3+, and Eu3+. The nano-array based on carbon dot (C-dot)-aerogel hybrid prepared through in-situ carbonization of 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA), a high-affinity heavy metal chelator, enabled detection of UO22+ ions which induced a significant red fluorescence shift, while Eu3+ and particularly Sm3+ ions gave rise to pronounced fluorescence quenching. The TTA-C-dot-aerogel construct is resilient, easy to produce in large quantities, and could be effectively used as a platform for detection and speciation of lanthanide and actinide metal ions.

The assembly based upon polydiacetylene (PDA) nano-vesicles comprising phospholipids and embedded TTA ligand served as an effective guest/host system, providing a vehicle for radionuclide detection, especially for Eu+3 and could be effectively used as a platform for detection and speciation of lanthanide and actinide metal ions.