The known or suspected toxicity and environmental impact of common organic contaminants in water motivates the development of new methods for their detection. We aim to develop peptoid-based sensor arrays to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminants and differentiate individual compounds within them. To this end, we will report on the influence of anthracene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, phenanthrene, and chrysene on the fluorescence of self-associating, water-soluble peptoids studied in our laboratory. We hypothesize that these contaminant molecules affect peptoid fluorescence emission either by influencing peptoid self-association or by quenching fluorescence through energy transfer mechanisms (or both).

Use of peptoids for the detection of aromatic water contaminants

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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