A novel organic-inorganic hybrid fluorescent material as a selective chemosensor and adsorbent for Pb2+ ion

A novel organic-inorganic fluorescent material as chemosensor containing 2-substitute imidazole-[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline derivative was prepared by sol-gel reaction, and the binding ability of hybrid material with metal ions was evaluated, and the results indicated that the hybrid material can selectively recognize Pb2+. By examining the ability of hybrid material to adsorb Pb2+ in solid liquid phase, 98.3% of Pb2+ was adsorbed onto the surface of hybrid material, and the hybrid material can be repeatedly utilized with suitable treatment, where the off-on-off process was due to the pH modulation of the phenanthroline ligand. The combination of well-defined inorganic matrix and functionalized organic receptor can play a pivotal role in the development of a novel generation of functionalized composites. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.