A cyclometalated iridium(III) complex-based fluorescence probe for hypochlorite detection and its application by test strips

Abstract A new cyclometalated iridium(III) complex-based fluorescence probe ( IrCN ) for hypochlorite (ClO − ) has been synthesized and characterized. The probe displayed nonfluorescent around 577 nm, while a 54-fold enhancement in fluorescence emission intensity was observed after the addition of ClO − due to the removal of C=N isomerization effect. Such “turn-on” fluorescence probe worked excellently in wide pH range (5–12) with short response time ( IrCN exhibited high selectivity towards ClO − even in the presence of other competing species. Furthermore, IrCN was successfully integrated in fluorescent test strips for real-time detection of ClO − .