2-(4-Formylphenyl)phenanthroimidazole as a colorimetric and fluorometric probe for selective fluoride ion sensing

Abstract

An easy-to-prepare chemosensor, 2-(4-formylphenyl)phenanthroimidazole 1, synthesized by facile one-step condensation under microwave irradiation, has been indicated to be a colorimetric and fluorometric probe for fluoride anion with good sensitivity and high selectivity. This probe shows obvious red shift and absorbance intensity changes in UV absorption and fluorescence spectra in the presence of fluoride anions. Such color and absorbance intensity changes are attributed to the deprotonation of N-H on the imidazole moiety with fluoride anion.