A fluorescence resonance energy transfer probe for sensing pH in aqueous solution

A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor, which has a FRET donor and an acceptor attached to each chain end of pH-sensitive polysulfonamide, is synthesized and its pH sensitivity is examined in terms of the FRET efficiency. This polymeric sensor exhibits an instantaneous conformation change from coil to globule at a specific pH, which results in the drastic on-and-off FRET efficiency. To detect a specific pH region, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethizole are selected among various sulfonamides since their pK_a values are in the physiological pH. For tuning the emission color arising from FRET, 7-hydroxy-4-bromomethyl coumarin and coumarin 343 are used as a FRET donor and an acceptor, respectively, for a blue-to-green FRET sensor, and fluorescence amine isomer I and rhodamine B are used for a green-to-red FRET sensor. Each sensor shows a distinct color change from the emission wavelength of FRET donor to the emission wavelength of FRET acceptor, which well explains their feasibility as a useful optical sensor.