Iodine-catalysed synthesis of a novel meso-substituted dipyrromethane and its evaluation as a cation chemosensor

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of a dipyrromethane functionalised with an arylthiophene bridge was achieved by using an iodine catalytic method. Evaluation of the chemosensory ability in the presence of several cations showed both chromogenic and fluorescent response, with Fe3+, Cu2+, Hg2+ and Cr3+ among the most easily detected ions. The results suggest that the novel dipyrromethane behaves as a dual channel chemosensor, with higher selectivity and sensitivity for Cu2+ and Fe3+.