A bifunctional fluorescent probe for sensing of Al3+ and H2S

Abstract

Al³⁺ and H₂S play essential roles in various physiological processes. However, excess Al³⁺ and H₂S are harmful to health. Therefore, it is necessary to design a sensitive method for the detection of Al³⁺ and H₂S. In this work, compound L was developed based on salicylaldoxime and 4-aminobenzamide. L displayed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics in the solid state due to a unique dimer formation via intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In addition, L could serve as a multi-responsive fluorescence probe for Al³⁺ based on the coordination reaction in a MeOH/H₂O (9/1, v/v, pH = 7.4) medium and for H₂S based on the addition reaction in EtOH/H₂O (7/3, v/v, pH = 7.4) solution. In addition, L showed a fluorescence colorimetric response to Al³⁺ in the solid state. Furthermore, L was applied to detect Al³⁺ and H₂S in actual water samples.