Anthracene appended AIEgen as a reversible fluorescence sensor for hazardous cyanide ion in environmental samples and fabrication of portable test kit for on spot detection

Abstract

CN− is a frequently encountered pollutant in water and soil. Due to its extreme lethal effect on mammals, serious consideration and efforts are needed for monitoring this hazardous anion. To address this challenge, herein, an anthracene-appended AIEgen (ACFH) has been synthesized and developed for selective fluorometric detection of CN− ion. The detection limit of the probe has been found to be 3.42 × 10−7 M (8.89 ppb), which is much lower than WHO standard (2.7 × 10−6 M). The interaction with CN− causes deprotonation of the probe and subsequent loss of planarity, which has been thoroughly confirmed from 1H NMR titrations and DFT calculations. The reversibility and reusability of ACFH and corresponding logic gates enhance its sensing performance and efficacy. Notably, it has been utilized to meritoriously quantify CN− in various water samples and the fabrication of a portable test kit for monitoring CN− in real time. In addition, the aggregation induced emission (AIE) property has been precisely explored with the aid of fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime analysis. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.