Highly sensitive and cost-effective fluorescent turn-on sensors based on octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole receptor for the detection of fluoride anion

Cost-effective fluorescence turn-on indicator-displacement-assay (IDA) sensors based on octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole receptor and tetrabutylammonium salts of 4-methylumbelliferone and fluorescein indicators were developed for highly sensitive detection of fluoride anion. The IDA sensor assembly relies on the hydrogen bonding between calix[4]pyrrole and carboxylate units of indicators and further displacement replacement of receptors with target analyte. While all the sensors displayed rapid and selective sensitivity towards fluoride over the other anions, 4-methylumbelliferone based IDA system was also found to have a visual color change for the sensing of fluoride anion. The experimental results revealed that fluorescein-based IDA sensor could be used for the sensing of fluoride anion with a detection limit as low as 3.2 nM.