4-4-difluoro-4-bora-3a-4a-diaza-s-indacene and salicylaldehyde

Development of cyanide sensor is important as the anion is harmful to human health and the environment. Herein, a new colorimetric and fluorescent probe GSB based on boron dipyrrole-methene (BODIPY) containing salicylaldehyde group for cyanide detection has been reported. GSB undergoes exclusive colorimetric change from orange to colorless and exhibits selective fluorescence turn-on at 504nm upon the addition of cyanide. Other 13 anions give almost no interference under physiological condition. Detection limit of the new cyanide-sensing GSB is 0.88μM, which is below World Health Organization (WHO) recommended level in drinking water. A calculation by density functional theory (DFT) shows suppression of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism along with the interruption of π-conjugation between salicylaldehyde and BODIPY core by cyanide anion. Cell imaging studies demonstrated that GSB is compatible and capable of sensing cyanide anion in living cells.

Topics: Aldehydes; Boron Compounds; Colorimetry; Cyanides; Fluorescent Dyes; Hep G2 Cells; Humans

The meso-salicylaldehyde substituted BODIPY was synthesized over a sequence of steps and characterized by X-ray crystallography, mass, NMR, absorption, fluorescence and electrochemical techniques. The crystal structure showed the presence of strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl and formyl groups, which induces rigidity in the BODIPY core and makes the BODIPY relatively more fluorescent than the meso-phenyl BODIPY. Our studies showed that the meso-salicylaldehyde BODIPY can be used as a specific chemidosimetric sensor for CN(-) ions. The presence of a hydroxyl group adjacent to a formyl group helps in activating the formyl group for a nucleophilic attack. Upon addition of the CN(-) ion to the meso-salicylaldehyde BODIPY, the CN(-) ion attacks the formyl group and converts it to the cyanohydrin group. This irreversible reaction was monitored by following the changes in absorption, fluorescence and electrochemical properties and the results support the view that the meso-salicylaldehyde substituted BODIPY can be used as a specific chemodosimetric sensor for CN(-) ions. To substantiate the role of the hydroxyl group, we also prepared the meso(m-formylphenyl) BODIPY which contains only the formyl group on meso-phenyl, and our studies indicated that the meso(m-formylphenyl) BODIPY cannot be used as a chemodosimetric sensor for CN(-) ions, as verified by absorption and emission studies.

Topics: Aldehydes; Boron Compounds; Cyanides; Electrochemical Techniques; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes