Molecular switch detects metals in the environment
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

An international team led by researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has designed a family of molecules capable of binding to metal ions present in the surrounding environment and providing an easily detectable light signal during binding. This new type of sensor forms a 3-D structure whose molecules are chiral, that is to say, structurally identical but not superimposable, like the left and right hands. These molecules consist of a ring and two luminescent arms that emit a particular type of light in a process called Circular Polarized Luminescence (CPL), and selectively detect ions such as sodium. This research has been published in Chemical Science.