A new cucurbit[6]uril-based ion-selective electrode for acetylcholine with high selectivity over choline and related quaternary ammonium ions

Detection of acetylcholine (ACh+) with high sensitivity and selectivity in the presence of interfering ions including choline (Ch+) poses a significant analytical challenge. A cucurbit[6]uril derivative, (allyloxy)12CB[6], forms a stable 1:1 inclusion complex with ACh+ but does not interact significantly with Ch+ in solution. Based on this result, we prepared ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for ACh+ using (allyloxy)12CB[6] as an ionophore. The (allyloxy)12CB[6]-based ISEs detect ACh+ with unprecedentedly high selectivity over Ch+ as well as other interfering ions such as dopamine, NH4 +, and .