Fluorescent ion-imprinted sensor for selective and sensitive detection of copper (II) ions

Abstract

In the present study, a fluorescent ion-imprinted sensor (FIIS) for rapid and convenient detection of Cu2+ ions was fabricated. A fluorescent polymerizable ligand, i.e., 4-(2-aminomethyl)pyridine-N-allylnaphthalimide, was designed and synthesized. The FIIS was prepared by surface functionalization of PVDF membrane with a thin layer of copper (II) ion-imprinted polymer using the synthesized ligand as the fluorescent functional monomer. The intensity of fluorescence emission of FIIS decreased linearly with the increase of copper (II) ions concentration in the range of 0–70.0μM. The results of selectivity tests indicated that FIIS has high specific recognition ability for Cu2+ ions. The recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 96.4–104.4%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were found to be 2.17–4.75%. The FIIS was successfully applied to the determination of copper (II) ions in real water samples. The Limits of detection (LODs) for Cu2+ ions in real water samples were in the range of 0.11–0.14 uM. The present study provided a feasible strategy for construction of fluorescent ion-imprinted sensor for convenient, sensitive and selective detection of metal ions.