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Exploration of fluorescence behavior of an imidazolium-based chemosensor in solution and in the solid state and its turn-on response to Al3+ in pure aqueous medium

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Abstract

An imidazolium-based quinoline Schiff base ImSB was developed and fully characterized by FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. The fluorescence behaviour of ImSB in solution and in the solid state, keto–enol stability at different concentrations and pH in aqueous medium were investigated. The UV-visible and fluorescence studies were performed to determine the response of ImSB towards different ions in aqueous medium. ImSB showed a turn-on fluorescence behaviour with high selectivity towards Al3+ over various cations and anions due to chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF), inhibition of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and restriction of C=N isomerization. The low detection limit for Al3+ was 54 nM and Job’s plot confirmed 1: 1 stoichiometry between ImSB and Al3+ with a high binding constant value of 4.16 × 106 M-1. Monitoring of Al3+ was also demonstrated in real water samples (mineral, river and tap water). The structural and electronic parameters of ImSB and ImSB-Al3+ were also studied theoretically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, 333031, Pilani, Rajasthan, India

    Vaishali Saini & Bharti Khungar

  2. Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, 500078, Secunderabad, Telangana, India

    Rangan Krishnan

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  1. Vaishali Saini
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Correspondence to Bharti Khungar.

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Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1878488. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c9pp00477g

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Saini, V., Krishnan, R. & Khungar, B. Exploration of fluorescence behavior of an imidazolium-based chemosensor in solution and in the solid state and its turn-on response to Al3+ in pure aqueous medium. Photochem Photobiol Sci 19, 931–942 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1039/c9pp00477g

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