Simple Iron(III) Complex Based Highly Sensitive Fluorescent Off‐On Sensor for the Detection of Trace Amount of Water in Organic Solvents and Edible Oilseeds

Abstract

AbstractMoisture detection in organic solvents and materials by using chemical sensors represent the latest research area in analytical chemistry. In this paper, we report a new fluorescent chemical sensor for the sensitive detection of trace amount of water in Tetrahydrofuran(THF), acetone and acetonitrile. The new probe L.Fe(III) complex consists of the fluorescent reporter dansyl dye attached with Fe(III) ion. Ligand L, and probe L.Fe(III) exhibits solvatochromism by intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) due to the donor‐acceptor properties of the dansyl compound. Probe L.Fe(III) is a non‐fluorescent compound and it becomes highly fluorescent in the presence of trace amount of water in THF, acetone and acetonitrile. The probe shows highly sensitive towards the water in THF with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.0003 weight(wt) %. 1H‐NMR, ESI‐MS and fluorescence lifetime studies established that displacement of metal from the probe is responsible for fluorescent enhancement. Further, for the first time probe L.Fe(III) has been explored as a fluorescence indicator for the qualitative and quantitative detection of trace‐level of water content in various edible oilseeds such as groundnut, mustard, sunflower, sesame and almond.