Azulene–boronate esters: colorimetric indicators for fluoride in drinking water†
Carlos M.
López-Alled, 
a
Adrian
Sanchez-Fernandez,
bc
Karen J.
Edler,
ab
Adam C.
Sedgwick,
b
Steven D.
Bull,
ab
Claire L.
McMullin,
b
Gabriele
Kociok-Köhn,
d
Tony D.
James,
*ab
Jannis
Wenk
*ae
and
Simon E.
Lewis
*ab
a
Adrian
Sanchez-Fernandez,
bc
Karen J.
Edler,
ab
Adam C.
Sedgwick,
b
Steven D.
Bull,
ab
Claire L.
McMullin,
b
Gabriele
Kociok-Köhn,
d
Tony D.
James,
*ab
Jannis
Wenk
*ae
and
Simon E.
Lewis
*ab
Abstract
Low cost and in situ fluoride detection by non-experts is important for the determination of drinking water safety in developing countries. Colour reagents can provide results quickly without expensive equipment, but colorimetric fluoride indicators are often nonspecific, complex to use or do not work in water. Here we show that azulene–boronate indicators respond selectively to fluoride at concentrations relevant to the WHO limit of 1.5 mg L−1.
- This article is part of the themed collections: Chemosensors and Molecular Logic and Most downloaded articles of 2017: Analytical Chemistry
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