A simple and cost-effective optical sensing system based on quinizarin fluorescent dye (QZ) for the selective and reversible sensing of CH3COO− anions is reported. The anion binding affinity of QZ towards different anions was monitored using electronic absorption and fluorescence emission titration studies in DMSO. The UV-visible absorption spectrum of QZ showed a decrease in the intensity of the characteristic absorption peaks at λ = 280, 323, and 475 nm, while a new peak appeared at λ = 586 nm after the addition of CH3COO− anions. Similarly, the initial strong emission intensity of QZ was attenuated following titration with CH3COO− anions. Notably, similar titration using other anions, such as F−, Cl−, I−, NO3−, NO2−, and H2PO4-, caused no observable changes in both absorption and emission spectra. The selective sensing of CH3COO− anions was also reflected by a sharp visual color change from bright green to faint green under room light. Further, the binding was found to be reversible, and this makes QZ a potential optical and colorimetric sensor for selective, reversible, and ppb-level detection of CH3COO− anions in a DMSO medium.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.