Triple Noncovalent-Interaction-Containing Supramolecular Polymer Vesicle Chemosensors with Dynamically Tunable Detection Ranges

Chemosensors (CSs) with dynamically tunable detection ranges have important significance for their expansion in practical applications; however, most CSs possess an unchangeable detection limit. In this work, we report the first example of a supramolecular polymer vesicle (SPV) chemosensor with a dynamically tunable detection range. SPVs containing porphyrin (PP) moieties and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/azobenzene (Azo) host–guest interactions were first constructed. The obtained SPVs were used to detect Zn²⁺ with a high selectivity and sensitivity over a wide detection limit range of 8.67×10⁻⁹ to 1.99×10⁻¹¹ under UV light irradiation. The corresponding sensing mechanism was attributed to the synergistic effects of the triple noncovalent interactions, including the metal-ligand coordination of PP/Zn²⁺ and the double host–guest interactions of β-CD/Azo and β-CD/PP.