A review of the applications of Schiff bases as optical chemical sensors

Abstract

Schiff bases and their metal complexes have become well-known for catalytic (e.g., in various synthetic processes) and biological properties (e.g., antifungal, antibacterial, anti-malarial, and antiviral characteristics) since their discovery by Hugo Schiff in 1864. As synthetic compounds, they are employed as versatile tools in numerous applications such as fluorescent turn-on/turn-off sensors for the determination of diverse analytes (e.g., metallic components). As such, they can offer a way to identify toxic ions and/or to provide their speciation in environmental media. This review covers a broad range of Schiff bases that are used in sensing applications for metallic cations and anions in various kinds of environmental and biological media.