The
novel multistimuli-responsive monofluorophoric supramolecular
polymer Poly(TPE-DBC)/FL-DBA and pseudo[3]rotaxane TPE-DBC/FL-DBA consisted of the closed form of nonemissive
fluorescein guest FL-DBA along with TPE-based main-chain
macrocyclic polymer Poly(TPE-DBC) and TPE-functionalized
macrocycle TPE-DBC hosts, respectively. By the combination
of various external stimuli, these fluorescent supramolecular host–guest
systems could reveal interesting photoluminescence (PL) properties
in DMF/H2O (1:1, v/v) solutions, including bifluorophoric
host–guest systems after the complexation of Al3+ ion, i.e., TPE-DBC/FL-DBA-Al
3+
and Poly(TPE-DBC)/FL-DBA-Al
3+
with their corresponding open form of fluorescein guest FL-DBA-Al
3+
. Importantly, the Förster resonance
energy transfer (FRET) processes occurred in both bifluorophoric host–guest
systems between blue-emissive TPE donors (λem = 470
nm) and green-emissive fluorescein acceptors (λem = 527 nm) after aluminum detection, which were further verified
by time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements to acquire
their FRET efficiencies of 40.4 and 31.1%, respectively. Both supramolecular
host–guest systems exhibited stronger green fluorescein emissions
as well as appealing ratiometric PL behaviors within the desirable
donor–acceptor distances of FRET processes in comparison with
their detached analogous mixtures. Regarding the pH effects, the optimum
green fluorescein emissions with effective FRET processes of all compounds
and host–guest systems were sustained in the range pH = 7–10.
Interestingly, both host–guest systems TPE-DBC/FL-DBA and Poly(TPE-DBC)/FL-DBA possessed high sensitivities
and selectivities toward aluminum ion to display their strong green emissions via FRET-ON behaviors
due to the chelation-induced ring opening of spirolactam moieties
to become green-emissive guest acceptor FL-DBA-Al
3+
, which offered excellent limit of detection
(LOD) values of 50.61 and 38.59 nM, respectively, to be further applied
for the fabrication of facile test strips toward aluminum detection.
Accordingly, the inventive ratiometric PL and FRET sensor approaches
of supramolecular host–guest systems toward aluminum ion with
prominent sensitivities and selectivities were well-established in
this study.