A colorimetric probe for the detection of hydrazine and its application

A colorimetric probe was developed to detect N₂H₄ content based on the colour change in natural light, and the recognition mechanism is the N₂H₄ cutting the ester bond of probe 1. As the N₂H₄ concentration increases, the Ultraviolet absorption ratio (A_352nm/A_505nm) of the probe solution was gradually increases, and the colour of the solution changed from colourless to pink under natural light. The detection limit of probe 1 for N₂H₄ was 0.1 μM. The probe can also be applied to test paper detection, and the test paper of probe was changed from colourless to fluorescent yellow under UV light as the concentration of N₂H₄ increased. There was a linear functional relationship between the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values of the photos and the N₂H₄ concentration. Probe 1 is a rapid detection tool for N₂H₄ concentration using a smartphone. Furthermore, the probe can also be used to detect N₂H₄ in tap water, tea and apple juice.