Chromo-chemodosimetric detection for Fe²⁺ by Fenton reagent-induced chromophore-decolorizing of halogenated phenolsulfonphthalein derivatives

Abstract

A commercially-available sulfonphthalein derivative was demonstrated to be a chemodosimeter for Fe²⁺ and its sensing behavior was further investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy in aqueous media under the optimum conditions. In the presence of chlorophenol red (CPR) and H₂O₂, the absorption maximum at 435 nm decreased upon addition of Fe²⁺, resulting in a significant color change of the CPR solution from yellow to colorless. The chemosensor system did not show significant responses to a series of other metal ions including Al³⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, La³⁺, Ce⁴⁺, Th⁴⁺, Pd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Sb³⁺, Cr³⁺, Au³⁺, Ag⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, allowing for highly selective naked-eye detection of Fe²⁺. Quantitative analysis was carried out kinetically for practicable the Fe²⁺ assay when either fixed time method or the initial rate method was applied. When the detecting time was set, the decrease of absorbance signal was linear with Fe²⁺ concentration in the range of 0 to 7.50 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ and the regression equation was ΔA = 0.00759 + 0.00593C _Fe with a correlation coefficient r = 0.9953. The chemodosimetric system has employed an irreversible Fenton reagent-promoted oxidation of the CPR free chromophore and the hydroxyl radicals were generated in the presence of both Fe²⁺ and hydrogen peroxide. The mechanistic interpretation of the signaling process was partially confirmed by the radical scavenging experiment and the FT-IR analysis of the intermediates formed at different reaction periods.