A new asymmetric salamo-based chemical sensor for dual channel detection of Cu2+ and B4O72−

Abstract

A new type of asymmetric salamo-based colorimetric and fluorescent chemical sensor H2L was synthesized and characterized. The chemical sensor H2L has an efficient dual channel for Cu2+ and B4O72− under the solvent conditions of DMF : H2O = 9 : 1 identify the effect. The oxime nitrogen and phenolic oxygen atoms in the chemical sensor H2L can be used as the binding sites for Cu2+. Further DFT theoretical calculations confirmed that the chemical sensor H2L can combine with Cu2+ to form a 1 : 1 complex, which in turn leads to quenching of fluorescence. Meanwhile, through ESP analysis, the N and O atoms in the chemical sensor H2L have an electron donor capability, due to the introduction of B4O72−, the density of the electron cloud around the N and O atoms was changed, prompting the fluorophore of the chemical sensor H2L to produce stronger fluorescence. The minimum detection limit of chemical sensor H2L for Cu2+ is 1.99 × 10−7 M, and the minimum detection limit for B4O72− is 7.57 × 10−7 M. In addition, the chemical sensor H2L was also used to detect the Cu2+ content in different water samples in life.