Acylhydrazone functionalized benzimidazole-based metallogel for the efficient detection and separation of Cr3+

Chromium(III) is a kind of microelement and can be converted to the more toxic chromium(VI), which is a carcinogen, by redox cycling. Thus, the development of novel materials for the detection and removal of Cr3+ is a very important issue. A novel metallogel chemosensor (BMG-Fe) based on functionalized benzimidazole (BM) and Fe3+ was constructed, which could fluorescently detect and separate Cr3+. The detection limit of BMG-Fe for Cr3+ is 2.62 × 10−8 M, and it exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for Cr3+. Meanwhile, the absorbing percentage of BMG-Fe for Cr3+ is 96.36%, indicating a high separation rate. Interestingly, the sensitivity and ingestion capacity of BMG-Fe for Cr3+ are better than that of the simple organogel (BMG). So, the metallogel BMG-Fe could be utilized for the efficient removal of heavy metal ions from waste water.