This thesis begins with an introduction into some of the mechanisms utilised in fluorescent sensing, in particular photoinduced electron transfer and internal charge transfer which \t'\I13re central to the operation of the probes selected for this ,--, l' study. The simplicity and diversity of such sensors is also outlined with examples from the literature showing various compounds designed with specific targets in mind and an indication of future sensors. Chapter two focuses on developing a chemo-sensor to monitor the level of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), an antimicrobial agent used as an alternative to chlorine in the treatment of swimming pools. Pyrazoline based fluorescent sensors were investigated in order to decrease the magnitude of detection, when compared to the conventional fluorescein derived colorimetric method. Chapter three attempts to add another dimension to the information retrieved from a molecular probe. Sensors were developed to monitor the proton concentration at the boundary of cells. Micelles (CTAC, SLS and Triton-X100) were used as membrane mimics. The sensors were composed of a lipophilic head group connected via a tertiary amine (proton receptor) to the fluorophore (naphthalimide). By varying the lipophilic nature of the head group in a series of compounds, the location of the receptor can be tuned, resulting in a mapping of the local proton density relative to one another. The thesis is concluded with chapters four and five containing the . experimental procedures and references respectively.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:485002 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | McCaughan, Bridgeen |
| Publisher | Queen's University Belfast |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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