A new cyclotriphosphazene appended phenanthroline derivative as a highly selective and sensitive OFF–ON fluorescent chemosensor for Al3+ ions

• A new type of fluorescent chemosensor based on cyclotriphosphazene appended phenanthroline has been synthesized.
• The photophysical properties of the compounds have been studied in acetonitrile.
• The Fluorescence Sensing properties of the compounds have been studied in acetonitrile.
• Very selective and sensitive fluorescence sensor for detection of Al (III) has been obtained.

A new type of fluorescent chemosensor based on a novel cyclotriphosphazene appended phenanthroline derivative was synthesized and its sensing behavior toward metal ions was investigated by UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. Addition of an Al3+ ion to an acetonitrile solution of the phenanthroline derivative exhibited a significant increase of fluorescence emission intensities, while 18 other metal ions induced no spectral changes. This phenanthroline derivative, as a candidate for an OFF-ON fluorescent chemosensor for Al3+, was found to be highly selective and sensitive with a low limit of detection (1.825 μg L−1).

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