A turn-on fluorescent chemodosimeter for uranyl ions based on uranyl-promoted hydrolysis reaction

We demonstrate here a novel reaction-based chemodosimeter 2-[(4′-triphenylvinyl-biphenyl-4-ylimino)-methyl]-phenol (TPE-SA) for effective UO 2 2+ recognition. TPE-SA responds to UO 2 2+ with dramatical fluorescence enhancement and blue-shift, readily perceived even by the naked eye. Specifically, the fluorescence intensity at 500 nm is linearly correlated with the concentration of UO 2 2+ ranging from 2.5 × 10 −8 to 3.5 × 10 −7 M, and the detection limit (LOD) is 1.1 × 10 −8 M. Besides, TPE-SA has high selectivity toward UO 2 2+ compared with other interferential metals. The fluorescent response of TPE-SA to UO 2 2+ is attributed to the hydrolysis of TPE-SA promoted by UO 2 2+ , and the hydrolysis product results in fluorescence enhancement. Our results suggest that TPE-SA can be potentially applied to rapid detection of uranyl ions in aqueous solution. • A reaction-based fluorescent chemodosimeter TPE-SA with AIE characteristics is reported for the uranyl ion detection. • TPE-SA exhibits high sensitivity, good selectivity and wide effective pH range. • TPE-SA has been successfully used for the quantification of uranyl ion in drinking water.