A colorimetric chemosensor based on a Nozoe azulene that detects fluoride in aqueous/alcoholic media

• Main Authors: Murfin, Lloyd C., Chiang, Kirstie Xiu Lin, Williams, George T., Lyall, Catherine L., Jenkins, A. Toby A., Wenk, Jannis, James, Tony D., Lewis, Simon E.
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Science::Chemistry; Azulene; Sensor
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/145539
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Colorimetry is an advantageous method for detecting fluoride in drinking water in a resource-limited context, e. g., in parts of the developing world where excess fluoride intake leads to harmful health effects. Here we report a selective colorimetric chemosensor for fluoride that employs an azulene as the reporter motif and a pinacolborane as the receptor motif. The chemosensor, NAz-6-Bpin, is prepared using the Nozoe azulene synthesis, which allows for its rapid and low-cost synthesis. The chemosensor gives a visually observable response to fluoride both in pure organic solvent and also in water/alcohol binary solvent mixtures.