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.