Chromogenic Chemosensor for Simultaneous Detection of PO43− and CO32− Anions in Organo‐Aqueous Solutions: Application in Arduino Based Electronic Color Sensor Device and Logic Gate

Three new chromogenic receptors have been synthesized with the primary objective of facilitating the selective recognition of PO43−and CO32− ions in an organo‐aqueous medium. R1 and R2 exhibit an extraordinary detection limit aligning with both EPA and WHO guidelines. R1 shows LOD of 0.135 ppm for PO43− and 0.175 ppm for CO32−, while R2 sets forth a LOD of 0.427 ppm for PO43− and 0.729 ppm for CO32−. The binding mechanism involves intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) band are substantiated by comprehensive studies that include UV‐Vis titration, 1H‐NMR titration, DFT studies and electrochemical studies. Chemosensors were employed in the formulation of logic gate, the fabrication of a paper strip test kit and its application in RGB color sensor device. The synthesized chemosensor is capable of selectively detecting phosphate and carbonate ions. UV‐Vis studies demonstrate that it has an excellent binding constant and a low limit of detection. The binding mechanism is supported by various studies, including UV‐Vis spectroscopy, NMR titration, cyclic voltammetry, DFT calculations etc. The chemosensor has potential applications in logic gates, keypad lock systems, paper strip test kits and Arduino‐based devices.