Push-pull intramolecular charge transfer solvatofluorochromic fluorophore for the selective and real-time detection of hydrazine

Abstract

Hydrazine (N2H4) is a chemical molecule having a wide range of applications starting from its use in chemical reactions for the synthesis of pesticides, pharma and dye industry, rocket fuel etc. Along with its wide range of applications, it is also becoming a reason for environmental and health concerns, as a result wide ranging detection tools have been developed for the detection of hydrazine. Amongst various sensing tools fluorescence-based molecular probes that can be used for sensing chemical toxics are seeking attention due to their easy operability, high selectivity, sensitivity and their biocompatibility. In this work, we have synthesized and evaluated a solvatochromic fluorescent probe (MQM) that is capable for the rapid and selective detection of hydrazine in water samples with a limit of detection (0.58 µM). The most important application is the probe can be transformed into a portable analytical tool that can be used for the rapid on-site detection of hydrazine without the use of any sophisticated analytical instruments. The probe can be used for real-time detection of hydrazine in water, vapour phase, soil, and biological samples.