Development of highly selective fluorescent ferrocenyl‐iminopyridine chemosensor for biologically relevant Fe3

Design, synthesis, characterization, and ion detection studies of two ferrocene‐appended Schiff bases namely N‐(2‐[ferrocenylamino]ethyl)‐5‐nitropyridin‐2‐amine (1) and ferrocenylamino‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐carboxamide (2) been reported. Both the chemosensors have been thoroughly characterized using Fourier transfer infrared, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, high resolution mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet/visible (UV/visible) and fluorescence spectral techniques. Probes 1 and 2 were designed with the aim of appending the ferrocenyl group with pyridine ring having an amine substitution (for 1) and imidazole ring with an amide substitution (for 2). Interaction of these probes with a series of cations and anions was examined through UV/vis and fluorescence spectral techniques. Probe 2 exhibited an insignificant response towards anions and loss of selectivity for cations, whereas 1 displayed highly selective detection towards biologically important Fe3+ in 2:1 (probe:cation) stoichiometry. Notably, none of the cations and anions could interfere the selectivity of Fe3+ ensured by 1 in aqueous medium. The limit of detection for Fe3+ detection using 1 was determined to be 0.2 ppm. The results strongly suggest that 1 could find promising future application as a chemosensor for Fe3+ in biological systems for quantification and qualitative analysis. Two ferrocenyl‐Schiff base probes 1 and 2 have been designed, synthesized, and characterized by spectro‐analytical techniques. Compound 2 remains nonselective for cations and nonresponsive toward anions. Notably, 1 serves as highly selective fluorescent chemosensor for Fe3+ without any interferance of several cations/anions which has been examined by UV/vis and fluorescence spectral techniques. Resonably good sensitivity and extremely high selectivity of 1 toward Fe3+ in aqueous media strongly acclaim it as fluorescent chemosensor for Fe3+ in the future.