Benzilbis(2-hydroxyanil) – highly efficient ligand for ferric ion (Fe3+) sensing

Abstract

The search for new fluorophores for the selective and efficient detection of metal ions holds a significant place in the modern sensing studies. This work reports the synthesis of a ligand, i.e. benzilbis(2-hydroxyanil), which was found to be a highly sensitive and exclusively selective probe for Fe³⁺ ions compared to 16 other metal ions, including Fe²⁺ ions. The binding constant of this ligand with Fe³⁺ was determined to be 6.05 ×10¹⁷ M⁻¹, with a LOD of 136 nM for Fe³⁺ ions in a MeOH/H₂O (1 : 9) mixture, thus making it an efficient fluorophore for Fe³⁺ ion sensing.