TY - JOUR A1 - Mansurova, Maria A1 - Johann, Sergej A1 - Kohlhoff, Harald A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Bartholmai, Matthias A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - On-Site Analytical Tool Based on Crude Oil Fluorescence and Chemometrics for the Rapid Determination of the Nature and Essential Properties of Oil Spills JF - ACS ES&T Water N2 - With the reduction of large oil spills because of stricter regulations and safety measures, the question of how to manage smaller oil spills arises. Few on-site analytical tools are available for first responders or other law enforcement personnel to rapidly test for crude oil in the early management of localized polluted areas. The approach reported here relies on well-described computer-assisted multivariate data analysis of the intrinsic fluorescence fingerprints of crude oils to build a multivariate model for the rapid classification of crude oils and the prediction of their properties. Thanks to a dedicated robust portable reader, the method allowed classification and accurate prediction of various properties of crude oil samples like density (according to API, the American Petroleum Institute and viscosity as well as composition parameters such as volume fractions of paraffins or aromatics. In this way, autonomous operation in on-site or in-the-field applications becomes possible based on the direct (undiluted and untreated) measurement of samples and a rapid, tablet-operated readout system to yield a robust and simple analytical test with superior performance. Testing in real-life scenarios allowed the successful classification and prediction of a number of oil spill samples as well as weathered samples that closely resemble samples collected by first responders. KW - Oil spills KW - Fluorescence KW - PCA KW - Petroleum KW - Rapid test KW - Portable PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-595442 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00648 VL - 4 IS - 2 SP - 621 EP - 627 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-59544 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sun, Yijuan A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Valderrey, Virginia A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Polymerizable BODIPY probe crosslinker for the molecularly imprinted polymer-based detection of organic carboxylates via fluorescence JF - Materials Advances N2 - This contribution reports the development of a polymerizable BODIPY-type fluorescent probe targeting small-molecule carboxylates for incorporation into molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The design of the probe crosslinker includes a urea recognition site p-conjugated to the 3-position of the BODIPY core and two methacrylate moieties. Titration experiments with a carboxylate-expressing antibiotic, levofloxacin (LEVO), showed a blue shift of the absorption band as well as a broadening and decrease in emission, attributed to hydrogen bonding between the probe’s urea group and the carboxylate group of the antibiotic. Using this probe crosslinker, core–shell particles with a silica core and a thin MIP shell were prepared for the detection of LEVO. The MIP exhibited highly selective recognition of LEVO, with an imprinting factor of 18.1 compared to the non-imprinted polymer. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the core–shell structure and spectroscopic studies revealed that the receptor’s positioning leads to a unique perturbation of the polymethinic character of the BODIPY chromophore, entailing the favourable responses. These features are fully preserved in the MIP, whereas no such response was observed for competitors such as ampicillin. The sensory particles allowed to detect LEVO down to submicromolar concentrations in dioxane. We have developed here for the first time a BODIPY probe for organic carboxylates and incorporated it into polymers using the imprinting technique, paving the way for BODIPY-type fluorescent MIP sensors. KW - Fluorescence KW - BODIPY probe KW - Molecularly Imprinted Polymers KW - Sensor Materials KW - Dyes KW - Water analysis KW - Advanced materials PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-598629 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MA00476G SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59862 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mansurova, Maria A1 - Gotor, Raúl A1 - Johann, Sergej A1 - Neumann, Patrick P. A1 - Bartholmai, Matthias A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Fluorescent Hydrophobic Test Strips with Sterically Integrated Molecular Rotors for the Detection of Hydrocarbons in Water and Soil with an Embedded Optical Read-Out JF - Energy and Fuels N2 - Contamination of natural bodies of water or soil with oils and lubricants (or generally, hydrocarbon derivatives such as petrol, fuels, and others) is a commonly found phenomenon around the world due to the extensive production, transfer, and use of fossil fuels. In this work, we develop a simple system for the on-field detection of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water and soil. The test is based on the measurement of the fluorescence signal emitted by the molecular rotor 2-[ethyl[4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]phenyl]amino]ethanol (4-DNS-OH). This dye is embedded in a hydrophobic polymeric matrix (polyvinylidene fluoride), avoiding interactions with water and providing a robust support for use in a test strip fashion. Together with the strips, an embedded optical system was designed for fluorescence signal read-out, featuring a Bluetooth low-energy connection to a commercial tablet device for data processing and analysis. This system works for the detection and quantification of TPHs in water and soil through a simple extraction protocol using a cycloalkane solvent with a limit of detection of 6 ppm. Assays in surface and sea waters were conclusive, proving the feasibility of the method for in-the-field operation. KW - Test strip KW - Sensor KW - Smartphone KW - Fluorescence KW - Test Streifen KW - Sensoren KW - Fluoreszenz KW - Petrol KW - Öl PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.3c01175 SN - 0887-0624 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, United States AN - OPUS4-57892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Burnage, Samual A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Wan, Wei A1 - Kislenko, Evgeniia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Combining a hybrid chip and tube microfluidic system with fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) core–shell particles for the derivatisation, extraction, and detection of peptides with N-terminating phosphorylated tyrosine JF - Lab on a Chip N2 - The reliable identification and quantitation of phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins is one of the key challenges in contemporary bioanalytical research, an area of particular interest when attempting to diagnose and treat diseases at an early stage. We have developed a synthetic probe for targeting phosphorylated amino acids, based on core–shell submicron-sized particles consisting of a silica core, coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell. The MIP layer contains a fluorescent probe crosslinker which binds selectively to phosphorylated tyrosine (pY) moieties with a significant imprinting factor (IF) and responds with a "light-up” fluorescence signal. The bead-based ratiometric detection scheme has been successfully transferred to a microfluidic chip format and its applicability to rapid assays has been exemplarily shown by discriminating a pY-terminating oligopeptide against its nonphosphorylated counterpart. Such miniaturised devices could lead to an automated pY or pY N-terminated peptide measurement system in the future. The setup combines a modular microfluidic system for amino acid derivatisation, extraction (by micropillar co-flow) and selective adsorption and detection with the fluorescent MIP core–shell particle probes. A miniaturised optical assembly for low-light fluorescence measurements was also developed, based on miniaturised opto-electronic parts and optical fibres. The emission from the MIP particles upon binding of pY or pY N-terminated peptides could be monitored in real-time. KW - Microfluidics KW - Molecularly imprinted polymers KW - Phosphorylated peptides KW - Fluorescence KW - Core-shell particles PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-569204 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2lc00955b SN - 1473-0197 VL - 23 IS - 3 SP - 466 EP - 474 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-56920 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Climent Terol, Estela A1 - Gotor, Raul A1 - Tobias, Charlie A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Martin-Sanchez, Pedro A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Dip Sticks Embedding Molecular Beacon-Functionalized Core−Mesoporous Shell Particles for the Rapid On-Site Detection of Microbiological Fuel Contamination JF - ACS Sensors N2 - Microbial contamination of fuels by fungi and bacteria presents risks of corrosion and fuel system fouling. In this work, a rapid test for the determination of microbial genomic DNA from aqueous fuel extracts is presented. It combines test strips coated with polystyrene core/mesoporous silica shell particles, to the surface of which modified fluorescent molecular beacons are covalently grafted, with a smartphone detection system. In the hairpin loop, the beacons incorporate a target sequence highly conserved in all bacteria, corresponding to a fragment of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, which is also present to a significant extent in the 18S rRNA gene of fungi, allowing for broadband microbial detection. In the developed assay, the presence of genomic DNA extracts from bacteria and fungi down to ca. 20−50 μg L−1 induced a distinct fluorescence response. The optical read-out was adapted for on-site monitoring by combining a 3D-printed case with a conventional smartphone, taking advantage of the sensitivity of contemporary complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detectors. Such an embedded assembly allowed to detect microbial genomic DNA in aqueous extracts down to ca. 0.2−0.7 mg L−1 and presents an important step toward the on-site uncovering of fuel contamination in a rapid and simple fashion. KW - Bacteria KW - Fungi KW - Rapid test KW - Fluorescence KW - Smartphone KW - Biofouling PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.0c01178 SN - 2379-3694 VL - 6 IS - 1 SP - 27 EP - 34 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-51956 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tillo, Adam A1 - Bartelmeß, Jürgen A1 - Chauhan, Vraj P. A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Microfluidic Device for the Determination of Water Chlorination Levels Combining a Fluorescent meso-Enamine Boron Dipyrromethene Probe and a Microhydrocyclone for Gas Bubble Separation JF - Analytical Chemistry N2 - Chlorination procedures are commonly applied in swimming pool water and wastewater treatment, yet also in food, pharmaceutical, and paper production. The amount of chlorine in water needs to be strictly controlled to ensure efficient killing of pathogens but avoid the induction of negative health effects. Miniaturized microfluidic fluorescence sensors are an appealing approach here when aiming at online or at-site measurements. Two meso-enamine-substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes were found to exhibit favorable indication properties, their reaction with hypochlorite leading to strong fluorescence enhancement. Real-time assays became possible after integration of these fluorescent probes with designed two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chips, incorporating a passive sinusoidal mixer and a microhydrocyclone, respectively. A comparison of the two microfluidic systems, including their abilities to prevent accumulation or circulation of microbubbles produced by the chemical indication reaction, showed excellent fluidic behavior for the microhydrocyclone-based device. After coupling to a miniaturized optical reader for fluorescence detection, the 2D microfluidic system showed a promising detection range of 0.04−0.5 mg L−1 while still being prone to bubble-induced fluctuations and suffering from considerably low signal gain. The microhydrocyclone-based system was distinctly more robust against gas bubbles, showed a higher signal gain, and allowed us to halve the limit of detection to 0.02 mg L−1. The use of the 3D system to quantify the chlorine content of swimming pool water samples for sensitive and quantitative chlorine monitoring was demonstrated. KW - Chlorine KW - BODIPY KW - Fluorescence KW - Micro-Hydrocyclone KW - Microfluidic Chip PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03039 SN - 0003-2700 VL - 91 IS - 20 SP - 12980 EP - 12987 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-49393 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gotor, Raúl A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Tailored fluorescent solvatochromic test strips for quantitative on-site detection of gasoline fuel adulteration JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry C N2 - Gasoline adulteration is a frequent problem world-wide, because of the chance of quick, maximized profits. However, addition of cheaper ethanol or hydrocarbons like kerosene does not only result in economic damage but also poses problems for vehicles and the environment. To enable law enforcement forces, customers or enterprises to uncover such a fraudulent activity directly upon suspicion and without the need to organize for sampling and laboratory analysis, we developed a simple strip-based chemical test. Key to the favorable performance was the dedicated materials tailoring, which led to test strips that consisted of a cellulose support coated with silica, passivated with hexamethyldisilazane and functionalized covalently with a molecular probe. The probe fluoresces brightly across a broad solvent polarity range, enabling reliable quantitative measurements and data analysis with a conventional smartphone. The assays showed high reproducibility and accuracy, allowing not only for the detection of gasoline adulteration but also for the on-site monitoring of the quality of commercial E10 gasoline. KW - Gasoline KW - Adulteration KW - Test strips KW - Benzin KW - Teststreifen KW - Fluorescence KW - Cellulose KW - Zellulose KW - Fluoreszenz PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-479231 UR - https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/tc/c8tc04818e DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C8TC04818E SN - 2050-7526 VL - 7 IS - 8 SP - 2250 EP - 2256 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - London, UK AN - OPUS4-47923 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagner, Sabine A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Biyikal, Mustafa A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Integrating fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor particles with a modular microfluidic platform for nanomolar smallmolecule detection directly in aqueous samples JF - Biosensors and Bioelectronics N2 - Fluorescent sensory MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) particles were combined with a droplet-based 3D microfluidic system for the selective determination of a prototype small-molecule analyte of environmental concern, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D, at nanomolar concentration directly in water samples. A tailor-made fluorescent indicator cross-linker was thus designed that translates the binding event directly into an enhanced fluorescence signal. The phenoxazinone-type cross-linker was co-polymerized into a thin MIP layer grafted from the surface of silica microparticles following a RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization protocol. While the indicator cross-linker outperformed its corresponding monomer twin, establishment of a phase-transfer protocol was essential to guarantee that the hydrogen bond-mediated signalling mechanism between the urea binding site on the indicator cross-linker and the carboxylate group of the analyte was still operative upon real sample analysis. The latter was achieved by integration of the fluorescent core-shell MIP sensor particles into a modular microfluidic platform that allows for an in-line phasetransfer assay, extracting the analyte from aqueous sample droplets into the organic phase that contains the sensor particles. Real-time fluorescence determination of 2,4-D down to 20 nM was realized with the system and applied for the analysis of various surface water samples collected from different parts of the world. KW - Molecular imprinting KW - Microfluidics KW - Fluorescence KW - Core-shell particles KW - Droplets PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2017.07.053 SN - 0956-5663 VL - 99 IS - 1 SP - 244 EP - 250 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-42258 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ashokkumar, Pichandi A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Buurman, Merwe A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Analytical platform for sugar sensing in commercial beverages using a fluorescent BODIPY "light-up" probe JF - Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical N2 - Because of the globally increasing prevalence of diabetes, the need for accurate, efficient and at best miniaturized automated analytical systems for sugar detection in medical diagnostics and the food industry is still urgent. The development of molecular probes for sugars based on boronic acid receptors offers an excellent alternative to the kinetically slow enzyme-based sugar sensors. Moreover, by coupling such chelating units with dye scaffolds like BODIPYs (boron–dipyrromethenes), highly fluorescent sugar sensing schemes can be realized. In this work, a boronic acid-functionalized BODIPY probe was developed, which binds selectively to fructose’s adjacent diols to form cyclic boronate esters. Placement of an amino group in direct neighborhood of the boronic acid moiety allowed us to obtain a broad working range at neutral pH, which distinguishes the probe from the majority of systems working only at pH > 8, while still meeting the desired sensitivity in the micro-molar range due to a pronounced analyte-induced fluorescence increase. To enhance the applicability of the test in the sense described above, integration with a microfluidic chip was achieved. Here, fructose was selectively detected by fluorescence with similar sensitivity in real time on chip, and an assay for the straightforward detection of sugar in (colored) sodas without sample clean-up was established. KW - BODIPY dyes KW - Boronic acid KW - Fluorescence KW - Microfluidics KW - Sugars PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2017.09.201 SN - 0925-4005 VL - 256 SP - 609 EP - 615 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-43102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -