Low cost, high sensitivity detection of waterborne Al3+ cations and F− anions via the fluorescence response of a morin derivative dye

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta 2020-04, Vol.1105, p.1-10
• Main Authors: Alshammari, Alhulw H., Alqahtani, Zahrah, Mohd Suah, Faiz Bukhari, Nizar, Syaza Atikah, Dunbar, Alan, Grell, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminium; Fibre optics; Fluoride; Morin
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.01.070

Morin dye is known as a cheap and readily available selective ‘off → on’ fluorescent sensitiser when immobilised in a phase transfer membrane for the detection of Al3+ ions. Here, a morin derivative, NaMSA, which readily dissolves in water with good long-term stability is used in conjunction with a fibre optic transducer with lock-in detection to detect Al3+ in drinking water below the potability limit. The combination of a water soluble dye and the fibre optic transducer require neither membrane preparation nor a fluorescence spectrometer yet still display a high figure-of- merit. The known ability to recover morin-based Al3+ cation sensors selectively by exposure to fluoride (F−) anions is further developed enabling a complementary sensing of either fluoride anions, or aluminium cations, using the same dye with a sub-micromolar limit-of-detection for both ions. The sensor performance parameters compare favourably to prior reports on both aqueous aluminium and fluoride ion sensing. Fibre optic instrument with Lock In detection for the complementary sensing of either waterborne aluminium, or fluoride, with the same morin derivative dye. [Display omitted] •We extend the ability to recover a fluorescent sensor into fully ‘complementary’ sensing of either, the conventional ‘analyte’, or the ‘recovery agent’, on an equal footing.