A Simple Visible Recognition Method for Copper Ions Using Dibenzo[b,j][1,10]Phenanthroline Scaffold as a Colorimetric Sensor

Abstract

A dibenzo[b,j][1,10]phenanthroline (DBPhen) scaffold as a novel colorimetric Cu2+ sensor was proposed and prepared in this study. The optical properties of DBPhen were measured utilizing UV light, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The findings denote that DBPhen exhibited a particular selectivity and great sensitivity to Cu2+ compared with other metal ions. The addition of Cu2+ in the DBPhen solution induced the color change from yellow to purple, and a new peak in the visible range (~545 nm) was observed. The detection limit of Cu2+ in the aqueous solution was calculated to be as low as 0.14 μM. Besides, the color change of the DBPhen/Cu2+ complex could be reversibly restored by adding CN−. Therefore, DBPhen could have a prospective implementation as a practical colorimetric sensor to detect Cu2+ ions in environmental fields.