Efficient detection of Al3+ and B4O72− over trigonal prism In(iii) complex

Abstract

In this study, a novel mononuclear complex In(H₂nha)₃ (1) (H₃nha = 3-hydroxy-2-napthanoic hydroxamic acid) was synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that 1 possesses a centrosymmetric structure consisting of one In(III) and three partially deprotonated ligands. Luminescent studies suggested that 1 could selectively and sensitively recognize Al³⁺ and B₄O₇²⁻ through fluorescence enhancement effect, even could be directly observed with naked eyes under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp, and their detection limits can be as low as 1.3 and 6.2 μM, respectively. Moreover, the mechanism of their fluorescence enhancement was explored.