A Chromo-Fluorogenic Synthetic Canary for CO Detection Based on a Pyrenylvinyl Ruthenium(II) Complex

The chromo-fluorogenic detection of carbon monoxide in air has been achieved using a simple, inexpensive system based on ruthenium(II). This probe shows exceptional sensitivity and selectivity in its sensing behavior in the solid state. A color response visible to the naked eye is observed at 5 ppb of CO, and a remarkably clear color change occurs from orange to yellow at the onset of toxic CO concentrations (100 ppm) in air. Even greater sensitivity (1 ppb) can be achieved through a substantial increase in turn-on emission fluorescence in the presence of carbon monoxide, both in air and in solution. No response is observed with other gases including water vapor. Immobilization of the probe on a cellulose strip allows the system to be applied in its current form in a simple optoelectronic device to give a numerical reading and/or alarm.Financial support from the Spanish Government (project MAT2012-38429-C04) and the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2009/016) is gratefully acknowledged. M.E.M. is grateful to the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion for an FPU grant. J.D.E.T.W.-E. and A.T. acknowledge the Leverhulme Trust for a grant (RPG-2012-634).Moragues Pons, ME.; Toscani, A.; Sancenón Galarza, F.; Martínez-Máñez, R.; White, A.; Wilton-Ely, JDET. (2014). A Chromo-Fluorogenic Synthetic Canary for CO Detection Based on a Pyrenylvinyl Ruthenium(II) Complex. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 136(34):11930-11933. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja507014a11930119331363