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A dual-function luminescent probe for copper(II) ions and pH detection based on ruthenium(II) complex
Mengting Xie1, Jiecheng Zhao1, Xufeng Mai1
1Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Abstract:
A new ruthenium complex-based luminescent probe Ru-impa for Cu2+ and pH detection has been synthesized and characterized. Ru-impa could rapidly and selectively detect Cu2+ in aqueous solutions and the working pH ranges from weakly acidic to alkaline. The detection limit calculated using the S/N and S/B ratio was 24.7 nM and 3.4 μM, respectively. The test strips for practical detecting application were also prepared and the actual detection limit in drinking water was found to be 3 μM, which is lower than the WHO-guided drinking water limit (30 µM) and the upper limit of human serum free copper content (1.7-3.9 μM). Luminescence imaging study showed that Ru-impa could monitor Cu2+ level fluctuation in the cells. In addition, Ru-impa also shows a sensitive on-off luminescence response when pH > 10, indicating that it can also be used as a pH sensor under extremely alkaline conditions.
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