Fred Capretta: Research Interests

Development of Synthetic Protocols for the Preparation and Immobilization of Fluorescent Metal Chelants.

As their names suggests, fluorchelants are molecules which fluoresce when bound to metal ions. This fluorescence can be detected and used, ultimately, for determination of metal ion concentration. Despite their potential, there are a number of shortcomings inherent in fluorochelants which has prevented their wide-spread use: they are generally not selective for specific metal ions; several of the most useful fluorochelants are not water soluble; and fluorochelants are difficult to recycle and reuse. One approach which could alleviate these problems involves the immobilization of the chelants onto a solid support (like glass or quartz). 

A surface derivatized with a permanent "receptor" (R in the drawing above) can be introduced directly into a sample (aqueous or otherwise), taken out and recycled for further use. We propose to synthesize of a new series of fluorochelants based on anthracene and develop a general synthetic methodology which will allow for the immobilization of these compounds onto quartz or silicon. Preparative protocols have been developed which will allow for the attachment of a metal binding fragment to anthracene, further modification of the resultant fluorochelant in order to introduce a linking chain and, finally, bonding of the fluorochelant onto a surface via the linking chain.

References: Chemical and Engineering News. 1998, 76 (9), 35 ; A.W. Czarnik, Acc. Chem. Res. 1994, 27, 302; A.P. de Silva, T. Gunnlaugsson, C.P. McCoy, J. Chem. Ed. 1997, 74, 53.