Visual detection of fluoride ion based on ICT mechanism

Abstract A novel chemosensor ( H 3 NTS ) has been designed for a fast and accurate detection of F − in acetonitrile medium. The UV–Vis, 1 H, 13 C NMR experiments and computational calculations demonstrate that H 3 NTS probe offers a potential colorimetric sensor for discriminating F − among other relevant anions. The detection limit is as low as 6 μM and a reversible colorimetric switch could be devised by sequential addition of F − /Ca 2+ . The promising application of H 3 NTS is also confirmed in real examples where the concentration of F − is a critical parameter, e.g., commercial toothpaste, paper strip and gel form analysis of samples.