Abstract
The ability to detect fluoride anions with high selectivity and sensitivity by using the naked eye is crucial yet challenging. In this study, a novel, simple conjugated organic dye, N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-3,6-diiodocarbazole (CA-TBMDS) was developed and used for the first time as a colorimetric sensor for fluoride. CA-TBMDS was found to be a highly sensitive fluoride chemosensor, with a detection limit as low as 3 × 10−5 M. The reaction of CA-TBMDS with fluoride anions in a tetrahydrofuran solution resulted in a color change from colorless to yellow under ambient light, which can be discriminated by the naked eye. The sensor operated via intermolecular proton transfer between the amide units and the fluoride anion, as confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance titration. CA-TBMDS is not only highly sensitive to fluoride anions, but also exhibits high sensitivity in the presence of various ions. This work demonstrates that N-butyldimethylchlorosilane-based organic dyes have prospective utility as a type of fluoride anion chemosensor.
Highlights
Fluoride is among the most electronegative ions and is the smallest anion, with a high charge density
The synthesis of CA-TBMDS is described in the Materials and Methods section
The interaction between the CATBMDS chromophore and fluoride anions was first investigated by using the naked eye to determine the color change
Summary
Fluoride is among the most electronegative ions and is the smallest anion, with a high charge density. Fluoride plays a key role in human health and chemical engineering because: (i) the fluoride anion is absorbed by the animal or human body, but it is excreted slowly. (ii) Fluoride anions play a crucial role in organic synthesis, the chemical industry, biological and medical processes, and the military fields (Kleerekoper, 1998; Cametti and Rissanen, 2009; Wade et al, 2010; Xuan et al, 2013; Zhou et al, 2014; Li et al, 2018). An appropriate amount of fluoride anions in the environment is healthy for humans. With the rapid development of the chemical industry, fluoride anions are present in aqueous environments, and in organic media, such as waste organic liquor (Clark, 1980). The development of highly sensitive and selective fluoride anion sensors capable of qualitative and quantitative detection is crucial and could provide a diversity of optical chemosensors for fluoride anions in organic solutions
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