Abstract
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•We synthesized two receptors for the selective detection of cyanide ion through inhibition of ICT process.•Our receptor has very low limit of detection of MK and HK, the values are 234 nM and 11 nM respectively in aqueous medium.•The receptors has been employed for live cell imaging to detect cyanide ions in Hela cells.•MK and HK were successfully applied to the rapid detection of cyanide in real water samples.
We have successfully synthesized triphenylamine-based fluorophores (MK and HK) with cyanoacrylic acid as a receptor for CN– ion sensing in a 99% aqueous medium. From the emission titration spectra, the detection limit of cyanide ion calculated towards MK and HK, respectively, are 234 nM and 11 nM. The observed binding constants for MK and HK, respectively, are 27 × 10-3 M and 10 X 10-2 M. The plausible sensing mechanism is confirmed by various methods such as Job’s plot experiment, proton NMR titration, and density functional theory. Furthermore, the prominent application is the naked-eye detection of cyanide from non-fluorescent to greenish-yellow fluorescent under 365 nm UV light. Based on the observed data from fluorescence spectroscopic studies, a new logic circuit is designed. Moreover, the potential application of HK and MK in the Hela cell line exhibited turn on fluorescence image for cyanide ion through the inhibition of the ICT process. In addition to that, the probe MK and HK is successfully applied in the analysis of the real sample for the rapid detection of cyanide ions.