A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe<sup>3+</sup> in Water System

Xin-Xin Liu; Meng-Ping Wang; Yue Liu; Shi-Yu Wang; Xia Feng; Guang-Jiu Zhao

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0

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A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-07-01

- A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System
- A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 2026年44卷第7期页码：2248-2257
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Education, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, China
  b.Micro-Nano Multiscales Water Science and Green Hydrogen Energy Technology Innovation Research Center, National Engineering Research Center of Water Resources Efficient Utilization and Engineering Safety, Institute of Water Science and Technology, Shool of Renewable Energy, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
- Author bio：
  
  f_x@tju.edu.cn (X.F.)
  gjzhao@tju.edu.cn (G.J.Z.)
- Funds：
  
  This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21873068, 21573229, and 21422309) and Tianjin Natural Science Foundation (No. 23JCQNJC01590). G.J.Z. also acknowledges the financial support from the Hohai University Fund for High-Level Talent Platform and Scientific Research (No. 424526). We also acknowledge the funding support from the following collaborative projects: “Design and Development of Novel Non-Precious Metal Catalysts for Hydrogen Fuel Cells” (No. 0501000066) with Shanghai Jichong Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and “Research on New Process for Medical Chemiluminescence Reagent Materials” (No. 0501000043) with Zhejiang Jiankang Technology Co., Ltd.;The authors declare no interest conflict.Electronic supplementary information (ESI) is available free of charge in the online version of this article at http://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0.The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0
  中图分类号： [M
- 收稿：2026-02-02，
  
  录用：2026-03-01，
  
  网络首发：2026-06-10，
  
  纸质出版：2026-07-05
- Accepted：
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Liu, X. X.; Wang, M. P.; Liu, Y.; Wang, S. Y.; Feng, X.; Zhao, G. J. A self-antibacterial chitosan-based polymeric fluorescent probe with a dual-lock strategy for ultrafast detection of Fe³⁺ in water system. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2248–2257 DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0.

Xin-Xin Liu, Meng-Ping Wang, Yue Liu, et al. A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(7): 2248-2257. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0.
Liu, X. X.; Wang, M. P.; Liu, Y.; Wang, S. Y.; Feng, X.; Zhao, G. J. A self-antibacterial chitosan-based polymeric fluorescent probe with a dual-lock strategy for ultrafast detection of Fe³⁺ in water system. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2248–2257 DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0. DOI：

Xin-Xin Liu, Meng-Ping Wang, Yue Liu, et al. A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(7): 2248-2257. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0. DOI：

摘要

The polymeric fluorescent probe CSC (CSC: chitosan grafting coumarin-3-carboxylic acid) forms a stable dual-lock recognition cage

via

multidentate coordination

enabling ultrafast and highly selective Fe

detection

while retaining inherent green an

tibacterial activity for sustainable dual-function applications.

Abstract

In this work

a novel polymeric fluorescent probe

chitosan grafting coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (CSC) was designed and synthesized by a one-step condensation in solution. The probe exhibited dual functionality

serving as a highly selective sensor for Fe

and demonstrating intrinsic antibacterial activity. Coumarin modification imparts unique morphological characteristics and enhances water solubility in chitosan. The CSC probe demonstrated blue fluorescence quenching upon Fe

addition

and the presence of multiple binding sites for Fe

on the chitosan chains endowed CSC with rapid recognition capability (within 30 s) and high sensitivity detection limit (2.58 μmol/L). The ultrafast and specific detection of Fe

was attributed to the dual-lock coordination cage formed between the abundant hydroxyl groups of chitosan and the carbonyl group of coumarin. Fluorescence quenching primarily originates from the fast formation of complexes

via

effective orbital overlap and excited-state electron transfer from the fluorophore to Fe

. Its good photostability and acceptable reusability confirm its potential for practical and cost-effective sensing applications. The CSC probe was successfully applied for the quantitative detection of Fe

in real water samples and the study of effective antibacterial activity. This work presents a multifunctional platform that combines sensitive metal ion sensing with antimicrobial properties

which holds significant promise for environmental monitoring and biomedical applications.

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Keywords

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A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe3+ in Water System

A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe3+ in Water System

DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3639-0

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references

A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System

A Self-antibacterial Chitosan-based Polymeric Fluorescent Probe with a Dual-lock Strategy for Ultrafast Detection of Fe³⁺ in Water System