Oximated ruthenium tris-bipyridyl complex: synthesis and luminescent response specifically for ClO(-) in water...

Hypochlorite has been widely and essentially used as the disinfecting agent of water in our daily life. Rapidly, specifically, quantitatively and simply monitoring ClO(-) in water remains to be investigated and is of importance. For this purpose a novel complex bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridyl-4-carbaldehyde oxime)ruthenium chloride (Ru-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH) was prepared. In water, reaction of complex Ru-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH and ClO(-) results in bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridyl-4-carboxylic acid)ruthenium (Ru-CO2H) and thereby offers an efficient luminescence response. This was ascertained to be a specific oxidation reaction of complex Ru-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH with ClO(-), and can be used for quantitatively monitoring aqueous ClO(-). The product of the oxidation reaction of complex Ru-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH and ClO(-) was isolated and assigned to Ru-CO2H. The luminescent emission spectra of complex Ru-C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-OH in the presence of ClO(-) demonstrated that the coexistence of F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), HCO3(-), HSO4(-), H2PO4(-), S2O3(2-), SO3(2-), CO3(2-), PO4(3-), HPO4(2-), NO3(-), AcO(-), Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Co(2+), Fe(3+), Ni(2+), Pb(2+), Hg(2+), Mn(2+) and Cu(2+) did not interfere in the quantitative change of the intensity of the luminescent emission.