Sensitized Fluorescence Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with Reduced Efficiency Roll-off

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) sensitized fluorescence is a promising strategy to maintain the advantage of TADF materials and fluorescent materials. Nevertheless, the delayed lifetime of TADF sensitizer is still relatively long, which cause heavy efficiency roll-off. Here we reported a valid tactic to construct fluorescent devices with low efficiency roll-off by utilizing the TADF sensitizer with reduced delayed lifetime. By construct the sensitization system, the energy transfer efficiency can up to 90%. The high energy transfer efficiency and the TADF’s short delayed lifetime result in the high sensitization over 95%, maximum external quantum efficiency of 16.2%. Meanwhile the TADF sensitized-fluorescent devices exhibit reduced efficiency roll-off with a “onset” current density of 23 mA cm-2. Our results provide an effective strategy to reduce the efficiency roll-off of TADF sensitization system.

Development of Europium-Sensitized Fluorescence-Based Method for Sensitive Detection of Oxytetracycline in Citrus Tissues

Antimicrobial compounds have been successfully used to control many plant and animal diseases. Recently, oxytetracycline (OTC) and streptomycin have been approved for the treatment of Huanglongbing in citrus. Since the application of OTC is under strict regulations, several methods have been developed to determine and monitor its levels in the environment including high-performance liquid chromatography, ELISA, colorimetric, and fluorometric assays. In this study, we developed a fluorometric method for the determination of OTC in plant tissues based on its complexation with europium. Our preliminary trials showed that phenols and flavonoids interfere with the europium assay by reacting with the sensitizing reagent, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride. Consequently, we used the 60 mg hydrophilic–lipophilic balanced (HLB) cartridges to purify the OTC from the plant matrix. The recovery of OTC from spiked leaf samples was 75 ± 7.6%. Using the 500 mg HLB, we were able to detect 0.3 ppm OTC in the final sample extract, which corresponds to 3 µg g−1 fresh weight (FWT). The developed method was successfully used to measure the level of OTC in leaves obtained from trunk-injected trees. The results obtained by the europium method were similar to those obtained using the ELISA assay. We also tested the cross-reactivity of OTC metabolites with the europium method. The 4-epi-OTC showed a high cross-reactivity (50.0 ± 3.6%) with europium assay, whereas α-apo-OTC and β-apo-OTC showed small cross-reactivity. We showed that the europium-sensitized fluorescence-based method can be successfully used to assess OTC in citrus plant tissues after a cleanup step. Our results showed that this method was sensitive, reproducible, and can be used to analyze many samples simultaneously.

FLUORESCENT PROPERTIES OF DOXYCYCLINE IN PRESENCE OF SILVER NANOCLUSTERS

The paper shows that in the presence of silver nanoparticles the efficiency of intramolecular energy transfer in the complex of europium with doxycycline increases. It is proved that sensitivity of determination increases and limit of detection of doxycycline decreases by the method of sensitized fluorescence. The justification of the observed effects is given. The amplification of the signal of sensitized fluorescence in the presence of silver nanoparticles (energy donor) is the result of resonant transfer of excitation energy between the nanoparticle and the antibiotic ion, which is implemented under conditions of overlapping of the local surface plasmon resonance spectrum and excitation of the doxycycline ligand located near the surface of the nanoparticle. As a result of exposure to the antibiotic external radiation source and the local field of the surface plasmon increases the efficiency of tetracycline excitation, which contributes to the effectiveness of intramolecular energy transfer in europium chelate with doxycycline, doubling the intensity and lifetime. Modification of the surface of silver nanoparticles by europium ions allows to reduce the distance between the surface of a nanoparticle and an antibiotic, to increase the intensity of the signal of sensitized fluorescence by more than 100 times. The role of the stabilizer of a non-chromophore-containing ligand, − citrateion, in the formation of the analytical signal lies in its participation in the formation of a multi-ligand Eu3+ complex on the surface of a nanoobject, which reduces the distance between the donor and the acceptor, as well as the additional removal of water molecules from the immediate environment of the complexing agent ion, suppressing the process of excitation energy dissipation. On the basis of the conducted researches the fluorimetric technique of definition of doxycycline in medicines is offered. It differs in a low limit of detection (6.0·10-9 M) and a wide range of the defined concentrations from 1.0·10-8 to 1.0·10-5 M.

Determination of berberine in Rhizoma coptidis using a β-cyclodextrin-sensitized fluorescence method

In this work, a method for the determination of berberine in Rhizoma coptidis using β-cyclodextrin-sensitized fluorescence technology is established.