A simple and easy-to-prepare imidazole-based probe for the selective chromo-fluorogenic Cu(II) detection in aqueous environments

Abstract

A new simple and easy-to-prepare imidazole-based probe 1 was synthesized and used to detect Cu(II) cation in aqueous environments. At this respect, addition of increasing amounts of Cu(II) to water (pH=7.4-acetonitrile 90:10 v/v solutions) induced the appearance of a red-shifted absorption together with a marked color change from colorless to deep blue. Also probe 1 is fluorescent and a marked emission quenching in the presence of Cu(II) was observed. The optical response is quite selective because, of all the cation tested, only cu(II) induced marked changes. Besides limits for the detection of Cu(II) of 0.7 and 3.2 pico Molar using UV-visible and fluorescence measurements were determined.