Detection and differentiation of ferrous and ferric ions using fluorescent metallopolymer and oligomer chemosensors

Abstract

A new fluorescent conjugated oligimer, tmpda-PPETE, capable of selective and sensitive detection of Fe2+ relative to Fe3+, has been prepared and compared with previously characterized metallopolymer chemosensors. Metal cation titration showed significant quenching for Fe3+ ions and little interference in emission in the presence of other metal cations. This work establishes a new approach to modifying selectivity for PPETE turn-on and turn-off fluorescence sensors by varying chain lengths between nitrogen atoms of bidentate amino-based receptors.