Abstract
In this paper, a highly selective and sensitive probe for fluoride ions (F−), containing a phenylpyridylvinylene derivative reporter and a Si–O bond receptor, was designed and characterized. The reaction mechanism is based on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. Upon addition of F−, probe 1 showed a remarkable red-shift (183 nm) in the absorption spectra accompanying with the color changes from colorless to purple, so probe 1 could serve as a “naked-eye” probe for F−. The absorbance of probe 1 at 545 nm increased linearly with the concentration of F− from 20 to 150 μM. The detection limit was calculated to be 0.1 μM. Besides, “off-on-off” fluorescence intensity changes were also observed in the fluorescence spectra. The present results may provide a useful approach for the development of highly selective dual-channel probes for F−.
