A selective, sensitive, and chromogenic chemodosimeter for cyanide based on the 1,1'-binaphthyl scaffold

Area of Science:

• Chemical sensing and molecular probes
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Cyanide (CN-) is a highly toxic environmental pollutant and a potential biomarker.
• Development of selective and sensitive detection methods for cyanide is crucial for environmental monitoring and clinical diagnostics.
• Existing chemodosimeters often suffer from poor selectivity, low sensitivity, or complex operational requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a highly selective chemodosimeter for cyanide detection.
• To investigate the potential for a reversible sensing process involving cyanide and gold ions.
• To characterize the sensing mechanism and performance of the developed chemodosimeter.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a novel chemodosimeter based on the 1,1'-binaphthyl skeleton.
• Spectroscopic analysis including fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopy.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titration and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

• The chemodosimeter exhibited high selectivity for cyanide, evidenced by a significant visual color change.
• A low limit of detection for cyanide was achieved.
• A unique reversible sensing process was observed, sequentially triggered by cyanide (CN-) and subsequently by gold(III) ions (Au(3+)).
• Fluorescence, UV-vis spectra, 1H NMR titration, and ESI-MS confirmed the sensing events and the reversible nature of the process.

Conclusions:

• The developed 1,1'-binaphthyl-based chemodosimeter offers a promising platform for selective and sensitive cyanide detection.
• The discovery of a sequential, reversible sensing mechanism involving both cyanide and gold ions opens new avenues for multi-analyte detection systems.
• The combined visual and spectroscopic detection capabilities enhance the utility of this chemodosimeter in various analytical applications.