A New Pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde Functionalized Chitosan-Cu(II) Complex-based Chemosensor for Iodide Anion in Aqueous Media

Abstract

Iodine is an essential ingredient in thyroid hormones of which both low and high intakes may cause thyroid disease. This study develops a Pyrrole-2-Carboxaldehyde functionalized chitosan-Cu(II) Complex [PCAFC-Cu(II)] chemosensor, for quick and easy detection of iodide ions from its aqueous solutions. PCAFC-Cu(II) complex was synthesized from a simple condensation reaction of chitosan (CS) and pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (PCA) along with an aqueous solution of copper(II) salt. The starting materials and the products were characterized by spectroscopic (FT-IR and UV-Visible), X-ray powder diffraction, and microscopic methods (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The PCAFC-Cu(II) colorimetric sensing of I- revealed a color change adduced to the formation of a hydrogen bond or deprotonation of the complex matrix. Colorimetric detection for I- ions was obtained with a detection limit (LoD) of 0.005 M and the complex has high specificity for I- ions detection from a solution consisting of several anions. The synthesized complex [PCAFC-Cu(II)] could serve as an on-site reagent for the qualitative detection of iodide ions.