Rapid visualization and detection of Cu2+ in aqueous solution using high-resolution colorimetric probe

Abstract

Objective To develop a chemical colorimetric probe that specifically recognizes Cu2+ in water and then generates color rapidly. Methods Cu2+ colorimetric probe BBSCP was designed and synthesized based on BODIPY fluorescence dye, then its color rendering ability to Cu2+ in water was evaluated with UV visible spectrophotometry. After common metal ions were added into the Cu2+ solution, the anti-interference ability of the colorimetric probe were tested. Results Our developed BBSCP exhibits a wide absorption band in a range of 485 to 670 nm. After the addition of Cu2+, a blue shift was observed in the range of 465~600 nm, with sharper band, but no changes were found after other metal ions were added. At the same time, the color rendering ability of Cu2+ was maintained even after the addition of equivalent amounts of other common metal ions. Conclusion Our developed colorimetric probe BBSCP has high sensitivity and selective stability to Cu2+ in aqueous solution, and can be widely used as a visual probe for rapid detection of Cu2+ in water in various fields such as biological diagnosis and food.

Keywords

• colorimetric probe
• copper ion
• visualization and detection