A bifunctional sensor based on diarylethene for the colorimetric recognition of Cu and fluorescence detection of Cd.

A novel bifunctional sensor based on diarylethene with a benzyl carbazate unit was synthesized successfully. It not only served as a colorimetric sensor for the recognition of Cu by showing changes in absorption spectra and solution color, but also acted as a fluorescent sensor for the detection of Cd through obvious emission intensity enhancement and fluorescence color change. The sensor exhibited excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards Cu and Cd, and the limits of detection for Cu and Cd were 8.36 × 10 mol L and 1.71 × 10 mol L, respectively, which were much lower than those reported by the WHO and EPA in drinking water. Furthermore, its application in practical samples demonstrated that the sensor can be effectively applied for the detection of Cu and Cd in practical water samples.