Conventional methods for cyanide detection involve complex lab tests and, therefore, are not suitable for fast field testing of water samples. The current R&D trend appears to favor the development of portable analyzers, which are, essentially, scaled down laboratory equipment that is expensive and requires technical proficiency to operate. It is desirable to have a portable kit for field testing that is inexpensive and easy to use.
Solution
A proprietary chromogenic oxazine compound of the present invention acts as a colorimetric detection agent for cyanide in water samples.
Competitive Advantage
The proposed kit is unique in that micromolar concentrations of cyanide dissolved in water can be detected immediately in the field.
Applications
The invention can be used for colorimetric detection of micromolar concentrations of cyanide dissolved in water with a simple field friendly kit. Because the compound of the present invention binds covalently to cyanide, it may be impregnated onto a filter for cyanide extraction from water samples.
Patent Status
International patent application
WO2007028080 entitled "COLORIMETRIC DETECTION OF CYANIDE WITH A CHROMOGENIC OXAZINE" was published on March 8, 2007.
Licensing Opportunity
We are looking for a commercialization partner with core competency in chemical testing products and with capabilities in product development, sales, and marketing. An exclusive worldwide license is available.
About the Inventors
Françisco M. Raymo received a Laurea in Chemistry from the University of Messina (Italy) in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham (UK) in 1996. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Birmingham (UK) in 1996-1997 and at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) in 1997-1999. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Miami in 2000 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2004. His research interests combine the design, synthesis, and analysis of functional molecule-based materials. Specifically, he is developing electroactive films, fluorescent probes, and photochromic glasses for chemical sensing and signal processing applications. He is the author of more than 120 publications in the areas of chemical synthesis, computational chemistry, materials science, and supramolecular chemistry.
Massimiliano Tomasulo received a Laurea in Chemistry from the University of Bologna (Italy) in 1999. Currently, he is working toward a Ph.D. in Chemistry under the supervision of Professor Raymo. His graduate research focuses on the design and synthesis of photochromic compounds, the electrochemical, photochemical and photophysical investigation of their behavior in solution, the entrapment of these molecules in rigid matrices, and the analysis of the optical properties of the resulting photochromic materials.
Selected References
"A Fast and Stable Photochromic Switch Based on the Opening and Closing of an Oxazine Ring": M. Tomasulo, S. Sortino, F. M. Raymo, Org. Lett., 2005, 7, 1109-1112
"Fast and Stable Photochromic Oxazines": M. Tomasulo, S. Sortino, A. J. P. White, F. M. Raymo, J. Org. Chem., 2005, 70, 8180-8189
"Supramolecular Association of Dopamine with Immobilized Fluorescent Probes": F. M. Raymo, M. A. Cejas, Org. Lett., 2002, 4, 3183-3185
"Fluorescent Diazapyrenium Films and Their Response to Dopamine": M. A. Cejas, F. M. Raymo, Langmuir, 2005, 21, 5795-5802
"Colorimetric Detection of Cyanide with a Chromogenic Oxazine": M. Tomasulo, F. M. Raymo, Org. Lett., 2005, 7, 4633-4636
