A highly efficient, selective, reversible and ultra-sensitive fluorescence “Turn-ON” chemosensor for aluminium ions by a novel Schiff base

Abstract

The synthesis of a Schiff base-based chemosensor, denoted as H6L, was accomplished through the condensation reaction of Isophthalohydrazide and 2,6-dihydroxybenzaldehyde in an ethanol solvent. The resulting compound was further characterized using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Extensive research has been conducted on several facets of metal sensing phenomena, revealing that the Schiff base H6L demonstrates discerning and expeditious fluorescence sensing characteristics specifically towards Al (III) in acetonitrile. The purported method detects Al (III) can be ascribed to the suppression of photo-induced electron transfer (PET) and the enhanced chelation-induced fluorescence (CHEF). The stoichiometry of metal–ligand complexes (2:1) was determined using Job’s plots titrations, HRMS and subsequently confirmed using NMR titration studies. The H6L sensors demonstrated remarkable fluorescence sensing capabilities in acetonitrile, with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.44 μM. This LOD is suitably low for the detection of Al3+, which is commonly found in many environmental and biological systems. Fluorescence lifetime measurement provides additional evidence of complexation of H6L with Al (III). The reversibility of the sensor was demonstrated through the introduction of pyrophosphate (PPi), which forms a complex with aluminium ions, thereby releasing the chemo sensor for subsequent utilization. The findings suggest that H6L has the potential to serve as a viable probe for the detection and identification of Al3+ ions.