Pt(Dithiolene)-based colorimetric chemosensors for multiple metal-ion sensing

Abstract

Colorimetric chemosensors are widely employed for in-field analysis to detect transition metal ions in real-time with the naked eye. Colorimetric chemosensors have attracted considerable attention because they can conveniently provide quantitative and qualitative information at a low cost. However, the development of colorimetric chemosensors for multiple-ion sensing where metal cations coexist has been limited. For this reason, we developed a new type of transition metal ion sensing material by selectively replacing functional groups on (diphosphine)Pt(dmit) molecules. The terminal groups of the diphosphine ligand were successfully substituted by the cyclohexyl groups, increasing the electron density of the thione moiety. Due to the electron donation ability of the cyclohexyl terminal groups, the proposed chemosensing material was able to selectively detect the mixture of Hg2+, Cu2+, and Ag+ in the presence of many types of interfering cations. To gain insight into the binding mechanisms between the metal ions and the developed (dchpe)Pt(dmit) molecule, density functional theory calculations were also performed.