Kew-Yu Chen, Wei-Chi Lin
Dec 1, 2015
Citations
1
Influential Citations
31
Citations
Journal
Dyes and Pigments
Abstract
Abstract A simple, relatively low molecular weight 7-azaindole derivative was synthesized and fully characterized. The 1-methyl-7-azaindole moiety was substituted with a dicyanovinyl group which served as an electron-withdrawing group and also as a sensing unit. The nucleophilic addition of cyanide ion to the dicyanovinyl moiety induces a remarkable change in the emission spectrum, enabling ratiometric fluorescent sensing of cyanide ions in aqueous media. An excited state intramolecular charge transfer mechanism played a key role in the sensing event and the mechanism was supported by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, test strips containing the sensor molecule were easily fabricated and provide a low-cost, practical and efficient test kit for cyanide ion.