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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Qualitative Identification of Carboxylic Acids, Boronic Acids, and Amines Using Cruciform Fluorophores
Published on: August 19, 2013
Highly selective colorimetric and fluorometric probes for fluoride ions based on nitrobenzofurazan-containing
Jinming Hu1, Changhua Li, Yue Cui
1CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Abstract:
We report on a novel colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensor for fluoride ions based on 4-(2-acryloyloxyethylamino)-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBDAE)-labeled polymers. Upon gradual addition of fluoride ions (F⁻), the green fluorescence emission of NBDAE moieties can be dramatically quenched, accompanied with the distinct colorimetric transition from green to yellow. NBDAE moieties are capable of selectively recognizing F⁻ ions via hydrogen-bonding (H-bonds) interactions at low F⁻ concentration and subjected to further deprotonation process at high F⁻ concentration. NBDAE-labeled polymers in organic solvents possess high selectivity and fluorescence "turn-off" characteristics toward the sensing of F⁻ ions with the detection limit down to ≈ 0.8 µM.
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