Sensing materials developed and applied for bio-active Fe3+ recognition in water environment

Iron is widely distributed in natural water, vegetables, fruits, crops and animals. It is an important physiological element and plays a crucial role in many biochemical processes at the cellular level. However, too much or too little iron intake leads to detrimental results. Great efforts have been devoted for qualitative or quantitative Fe3+ determination and various methods have been developed and applied in practice over the past few decades. To present readers with basic insights into functional sensing materials and help to further construct new materials, in this feature article, we will highlight the main sensing materials/techniques developed, including fluorescence, colorimetry, atomic absorption, chromatography, electrochemistry, flow injection, and luminescent sensing materials for Fe3+ detection, and our own work in this area in recent years.