Microenviromental investigation of polymer-bound fluorescent chelator by fluorescence microscopy and optical spectroscopy.

8-Hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS) was immobilized onto a strong-base anion-exchange resin AG MP-1 for the purpose of microenvironment investigation, resin characterization, and possibly sensing cadmium. The maximum loading of HQS was found to be 0.9340 mmol/g of AG MP-1. A plateau for Cd complex capacity was already obtained for 0.5500 mmol of HQS/g of AG MP-1. A minicolumn experiment showed an influence of influent Cd concentration on column capacity. IR and Raman spectra proved an electrostatic mode for HQS immobilization and Cd complex formation. UV spectroscopy showed significant differences between solution and solid state for both HQS and Cd complex. A fluorescence microscopy technique was used for fluorescence spectral measurement, microdistribution imaging, and study of photobleaching of HQS and the HQS-Cd complex in the resin phase. The fluorescence of immobilized HQS was found to be red-shifted with regard to the solid-state HQS. The microdistribution of uncomplexed and Cd-complexed AG MP-1-HQS was directly visualized by fluorescence imaging, showing a nonuniform distribution. Cadmium complexation modifies the fluorescence emission of uncomplexed AG MP-1-HQS, exhibiting an increased and red-shifted emission. Significant photobleaching of the fluorescence from the Cd complex was recorded, indicating the occurrence of photochemical reactions within the microenvironment of the resin phase.