Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Hg2+ ions and Antibacterial Activity Using a Schiff-base Derivative

Afnan M Alnajeebi; Rana Yahya; Alaa Shafie; Amal Adnan Ashour; Mohammed Fareed Felemban; Faris J Tayeb

doi:10.1007/s10895-024-04070-4

Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Hg²⁺ ions and Antibacterial Activity Using a Schiff-base Derivative

J Fluoresc. 2024 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s10895-024-04070-4. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Afnan M Alnajeebi¹, Rana Yahya², Alaa Shafie³, Amal Adnan Ashour⁴, Mohammed Fareed Felemban⁵, Faris J Tayeb⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. [email protected].
² Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O.Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic science, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 39710822
DOI: 10.1007/s10895-024-04070-4

Abstract

A simple and highly effective Schiff-base fluorescent chemosensor (S1) was synthesized and characterized by ¹HNMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. The synthesized chemosensor was applied for the selective and sensitive detection of Hg²⁺ ions. The chemosensor exhibited a strong 'turn-on' fluorescence response in a CH₃OH/H₂O (1:9, v/v) solution due to complex formation (S1-Hg²⁺) which block photo induce electron transfer (PET). The chemosensor showed significant sensitivity with very low detection limit of 2.0 ppb, making it suitable for trace-level Hg²⁺ detection. Furthermore, the S1-Hg²⁺ complex demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, broadening its utility beyond sensing. This dual-functional system offers significant potential in environmental and biomedical applications.

Keywords: Biomedical Applications; Chemosensor; Complex; PET; Schiff-base; Turn-on.

Grants and funding

TU-DSPP-2024-58/Taif University