Citation: Yi-Xin Zhang, Fang-Qi Zhang, Ao-Pei Peng, Tao Jiang, Ya-Xi Meng, Yang Li, Shuang-Xi Gu, Yuan-Yuan Zhu. Enantioselective recognition of amino acids in water using emission-tunable chiral fluorescent probes[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(1): 111500. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111500 shu

Enantioselective recognition of amino acids in water using emission-tunable chiral fluorescent probes

Yi-Xin Zhang ^a ,
Fang-Qi Zhang ^b ,
Ao-Pei Peng ^a ,
Tao Jiang ^c ,
Ya-Xi Meng ^b ,
Yang Li ^{a, *,} ,
Shuang-Xi Gu ^{a, *,} ,
Yuan-Yuan Zhu ^{b, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
b.
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
c.
Key Laboratory of Clean Dyeing and Finishing Technology of Zhejiang Province, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China

lyyy9281015@163.com

shuangxigu@163.com

yyzhu531@163.com

Received Date: 19 March 2025
Revised Date: 7 June 2025
Accepted Date: 23 June 2025
Available Online: 24 June 2025

Figures(7)

The detection of amino acid enantiomers holds significant importance in biomedical, chemical, food, and other fields. Traditional chiral recognition methods using fluorescent probes primarily rely on fluorescence intensity changes, which can compromise accuracy and repeatability. In this study, we report a novel fluorescent probe (R)-Z1 that achieves effective enantioselective recognition of chiral amino acids in water by altering emission wavelengths (> 60 nm). This water-soluble probe (R)-Z1 exhibits cyan or yellow-green luminescence upon interaction with amino acid enantiomers, enabling reliable chiral detection of 14 natural amino acids. It also allows for the determination of enantiomeric excess through monitoring changes in luminescent color. Additionally, a logic operation with two inputs and three outputs was constructed based on these optical properties. Notably, amino acid enantiomers were successfully detected via dual-channel analysis at both the food and cellular levels. This study provides a new dynamic luminescence-based tool for the accurate sensing and detection of amino acid enantiomers.
- Fluorescent probe,
- Amino acid enantiomers,
- Chiral recognition,
- Aqueous solution,
- Dynamic multicolor emissions
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