Colorimetric fluorescent cyanide chemodosimeter based on triphenylimidazole derivative

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cyanide anion is a highly toxic environmental pollutant.
• Accurate and sensitive detection of cyanide is crucial for environmental monitoring and safety.
• Existing detection methods often suffer from poor selectivity or complex procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly selective colorimetric chemodosimeter for cyanide anion detection.
• To synthesize and characterize a novel probe based on triphenylimidazole and dicyano-vinyl groups.
• To evaluate the probe's sensitivity, selectivity, and performance in real-world applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of the chemodosimeter via Knoevenagel condensation.
• Spectroscopic characterization (UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence).
• Evaluation of the probe's response to cyanide anion and common interfering anions.

Main Results:

• The synthesized chemodosimeter exhibits distinct colorimetric changes upon cyanide binding.
• The probe displays an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) absorption band at 420 nm and emission at 620 nm.
• A low detection limit of 0.11 μM (S/N=3) was achieved for cyanide detection.
• Effective inhibition of interference from other common anions was observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed chemodosimeter offers a simple, selective, and sensitive method for cyanide anion detection.
• The probe's colorimetric response and low detection limit make it suitable for environmental monitoring.
• This work provides a valuable tool for the accurate assessment of cyanide contamination.