A simple but effective ferrocene derivative as a redox, and fluorescent receptor for highly selective recognition of Al3+ ions

A new probe, based on BINOL and ferrocene unit, senses Al3+ selectively among a variety of metal cations. Through different channels: anodic redox shift of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox couple, and a remarkable enhancement of the fluorescence. This fluorescence recognition of Al3+ also shows color changes under a UV lamp. Mass and NMR spectroscopic analyses have been used to study the mechanism, which indicates the formation of [1 + 2] complexes.