A new synthesis route to high-quality large mesoporous cubic Ia3d silica is reported, utilizing a triblock copolymer (EO20PO70EO20)-butanol mixture for the structure direction in aqueous solution.

Exceptional control of the phase behavior of highly ordered large pore mesostructured silica (with the choice of Fm3m, Im3m or p6mm symmetry) is achieved using a triblock copolymer (EO(106)PO(70)EO(106)) and butanol at low acid concentrations.

A fluorescent dinuclear zinc complex (1) has been prepared by an easy "one pot" method in which the lysine-based Schiff base ligand is generated in situ. The compound is characterized in detail by various spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: monoclinic, C2, a = 18.31(13) A, b = 8.45(7) A, c = 11.20(8) A, beta = 90.11(6) degrees, V = 1733.6(2) A(3). Z = 2, R1 = 0.0442, wR2 = 0.1068, Flack(x) parameter = 0.03(2). Compound 1 is highly fluorescent, in both the solution phase and as a solid. Under neutral aqueous conditions (0.01 M HEPES buffer, pH 7.4), compound 1 exhibits intense blue fluorescence (lambda(ex) = 352 nm, lambda(em) = 453 nm, Phi(F) = 0.17). The complex was tested with several anions, such as F(-), Br(-), I(-), AcO(-), HCO(3)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), HPO(4)(2-), PO(4)(3-), and a variety of biologically relevant phosphate anions, such as adenosine monophosphate (AMP), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi, P(2)O(7)(4-)), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in water at physiological pH. The dizinc species was found to act as a highly selective sensor for PPi in particular by fluorescence ON-OFF signaling. Both the fluorometric and colorimetric (indicator displacement assays) titration results suggest that compound 1 is a highly selective sensor for phosphate ions with the order PPi > or = ATP > ADP.

Fluorescent dinuclear chiral zinc complexes were synthesized in a "one-pot" method in which the lysine-based Schiff base ligand was generated in situ. This complex acts as a highly sensitive and selective fluorescent ON-OFF probe for Cu(2+) in water at physiological pH. Other metal ions such as Hg(2+), Cd(2+), and Pb(2+) gave little fluorescence change.