Publications by authors named "Shu-pao Wu"

Sulfur mustard (SM), a blister agent and toxic chemical warfare compound, leads to injuries in the skin, eyes, and lungs, with early diagnosis being difficult because of its incubation period. Developing scavengers for sulfur mustard (SM) and its simulant, 2-chloroethylsulfide (CEES), is essential due to the severe and long-lasting toxic effects these compounds have on the human body. Existing scavengers like cysteine, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), and sodium thiosulfate cannot cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), rendering them ineffective for detoxifying SM in the brain and highlighting the need for lipophilic scavengers.

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γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) regulates glutathione (GSH), essential for cell functions and linked to cancer. High GGT levels in tumors make it a valuable cancer biomarker. Current GGT detection methods often lack sensitivity and specificity.

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Article Synopsis
  • * ISQM operates by converting to a red-emitting fluorescent form upon reacting with NAD(P)H, achieving high sensitivity with a detection limit of 59 nM.
  • * The probe successfully distinguishes NAD(P)H levels between cancerous and normal cells, showing its potential for use in live tumor models in mice.
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β-Galactosidase serves as a pivotal biomarker for both cancer and cellular aging. The advancement of fluorescent sensors for tracking β-galactosidase activity is imperative in the realm of cancer diagnosis. We have designed a near-infrared fluorescent probe (PTA-gal) for the detection of β-galactosidase in living systems with large Stokes shifts.

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Phosgene, an exceptionally hazardous gas, poses a grave concern for the health and safety of the general public. The present study describes a fluorescent ratiometric probe for phosgene employing 2-(naphthalen-2-yl) benzo[d]oxazol-5-amine (NOA) with an amino group as the recognition site. NOA detects phosgene through the intramolecular charge transfer mechanism.

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  • Only a few probes can effectively detect pH levels below 4, making it difficult to monitor highly acidic conditions (pH < 2).
  • Researchers created a pH-switched fluorescent probe using pyrene and pyridine that changes color and fluorescence in acidic environments due to specific protonation reactions.
  • The probe can quickly detect hydrogen sulfide (HS) within 5 seconds and was tested successfully in real water samples and with paper strip tests, confirming its practicality in real-world applications.
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A facile and rapid skin metabolomics protocol is proposed. The liquid microjunction-surface sampling probe system has been partly automated, and used in conjunction with hydrogel probes for skin metabolite analysis. A control device was built to precisely control the segmented solvent flow and analyte re-extraction into the liquid microjunction.

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Colorimetric and fluorescent probes have received a lot of attention for detecting lethal analytes in realistic systems and in living things. Herein, a dual-approachable Benzo-hemicyaninebased red-emitting fluorescent probe PBiSMe, for distinct and instantaneous detection of CN and HS was synthesized. The PBiSMe emitted red fluorescence (570 nm) can switch to turn-off (570 nm) and blue fluorescence (465 nm) in response to CN and HS, respectively.

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Hydrogen sulfide (HS), one of redox-active sulfur species, is known as a signaling molecule and an antioxidant in biological tissues to maintain cellular functions. The development of selective and sensitive HS detection is important to understand the role of HS in vivo. Herein, a new two-photon probe NNE was developed to detect hydrogen sulfide using 6-acetyl-N-methyl-2-naphthylamine with an attachment of 7-nitrobenzo-oxadiazole.

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Detection of chemical warfare agents (CWA) by simple and rapid methods with real-sample applications are quite inevitable in order to ease the threats to living systems caused by uncertain terror attacks and wars. Herein we have developed the first far-red to near infra-red (NIR) probe based on a covalent assembly approach for the detection of trace amounts of nerve agent mimic diethyl chloro phosphate (DCP) in soil and their fluorescent bio imaging in live cells. The probe features abrupt fluorescence turn on sensing of DCP with fluorescence quantum yield Φ = 0.

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Photochemical redox reactions of Cu(II) complexes of eight amino acid ligands (L) with nonpolar side chains have been systematically investigated in deaerated aqueous solutions. Under irradiation at 313 nm, the intramolecular carboxylate-to-Cu(II) charge transfer within Cu(II)-amino acid complexes leads to Cu(I) formation and the concomitant decomposition of amino acids. All amino acid systems studied here can produce ammonia and aldehydes except proline.

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Cysteine (Cys), an essential amino acid, plays several crucial functions in numerous biological processes. Notably, the detection of Cys is critical to disease diagnosis. Fluorescent probes that can quickly detect Cys will help to study the mechanism of certain diseases.

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The development of aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) active nanoprobes without any synthetic complication for solution-state and organic thin-film transistor (OTFT)-based sensory applications is still a challenging task. In this study, the novel pyrene-incorporated Schiff base (5-phenyl-4-((pyren-1-ylmethylene)amino)-4-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol; ) with an AIEE property was synthesized via a one-pot reaction and was reported for detecting Zn and tyrosine in the solution state and OTFT. In the AIEE studies of (in CHCN) at various water fractions (: 0-97.

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Abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become a health and social issue of global concern. p-Methoxyamphetamine (PMA)/p-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) with fluoro- or chloro-derivatives of amphetamine and methamphetamine were among the most common drugs found in specimens from fatal cases in Taiwan during the January 2011 to December 2018 period. A liquid-liquid extraction sample preparation protocol with highly sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach was developed for the simultaneous analysis of seven phenethylamine-type drugs-PMA, PMMA, p-methoxyethylamphetamine, 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), 4-fluoromethamphetamine (4-FMA), 4-chloroamphetamine (4-CA) and 4-chloromethamphetamine (4-CMA)-in postmortem blood and urine specimens.

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Neutrophils produce hypochlorous acid (HOCl) as well as other reactive oxygen species as part of a natural innate immune response in the human body; however, excessive levels of HOCl can ultimately be detrimental to health. Recent reports suggest that betacyanin plant pigments can act as potent scavengers of inflammatory factors and are notably effective against HOCl. Comparison of the in vitro anti-hypochlorite activities of a novel betalain-rich red beetroot ( L.

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Skin retains numerous low-molecular-weight compounds (metabolites). Some of these compounds fulfill specific physiological roles, while others are by-products of metabolism. The skin surface can be sampled to detect and quantify skin metabolites related to diseases.

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Article Synopsis
  • * These CDs demonstrate high selectivity for detecting phosgene and exhibit a "turn-off" fluorescence mechanism, with a detection limit of 81 nM, making them effective for identifying this toxic pollutant.
  • * The CDs also undergo fluorescence changes in the presence of silver ions and cysteine, with specific detection limits of 3.9 μM and 3.4 μM, respectively, and can be used to create clear fingerprints due to their unique electrostatic interactions on surfaces. *
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Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is involved in numerous cellular processes, such as pathogen response, immune regulation, and anti-inflammation. Consequently, the development of HOCl detection at the cellular level has been an important issue in investigating the dynamic distributions of HOCl. Herein, a fluorescent probe, Lyso-NA, containing a HOCl-reactive aminophenol group and a lysosomal-targeting morpholine group, has been effectively designed for detecting lysosomal HOCl.

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The homeostasis of short-lived reactive species such as hydrogen sulfide/hypochlorous acid (HS/HOCl) in biological systems is essential for maintaining intercellular balance. An unchecked increase in biological HS concentrations impedes homeostasis. In this report, we present a molecular probe pyrene-based sulfonyl hydrazone derived from pyrene for the selective detection of HS endogenously as well as exogenously through a "turn-off" response in water.

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A novel rhodamine-pyridine conjugated spectroscopic probe RhP was synthesized and its X-ray single crystalline properties were revealed with tabulation. The RhP displayed a distinct pale-pink colorimetric and "turn-on" fluorescent response to Fe in aqueous media [HO:DMSO (95:5, v/v)] than that of other interfering ions. During the Fe recognition, the absorption (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectral studies revealed new peaks at 561 and 592 nm, respectively.

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Hypochlorous acid has played several functions in the biological system. However, excess HOCl can cause damage to biomolecules and result in some diseases. Accordingly, a new fluorescent probe, BSP, has been developed for fast recognition of HOCl through the HOCl-induced oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide to sulfoxide.

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Achieving selective detection of target analytes in aqueous media continues to be an arduous proposition. Herein, we report the conceptualization and synthesis of a novel tailor-fit molecular probe R based on 1,8-naphthalimide which acts as a trifunctional molecular sensor for CN, Fe and HS. R shows colorimetric and fluorometric "on-off" relay recognition for CN (red colour and orange emission) and Fe (no colour and no emission) in 5% HO + DMSO medium which is experimentally ascertained to be a tandem deprotonation-protonation process and is supported by H-NMR titration.

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A novel amphiphilic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) copolymer, that is, , consisting of -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as a hydrophilic unit and a tetraphenylethylene-spiropyran monomer () as a bifluorophoric unit is reported. Upon UV exposure, the close form of non-emissive spiropyran (SP) in can be photo-switched to the open form of emissive merocyanine (MC) in in an aqueous solution, leading to ratiometric fluorescence of AIEgens between green TPE and red MC emissions at 517 and 627 nm, respectively, via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Distinct FRET processes of can be observed under various UV and visible light irradiations, acid-base conditions, thermal treatments, and cyanide ion interactions, which are also confirmed by theoretical studies.

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Extraction of volatile compounds from complex liquid matrices is a critical step in volatile compound analysis workflows. Recently, green chemistry principles are increasingly implemented in extraction processes. Some of the available approaches are solvent-free but still require concentration or trapping of analytes.

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The developments in mass spectrometry (MS) in the past few decades reveal the power and versatility of this technology. MS methods are utilized in routine analyses as well as research activities involving a broad range of analytes (elements and molecules) and countless matrices. However, manual MS analysis is gradually becoming a thing of the past.

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