BODIPY-based fluorescent polymeric probes for selective detection of Fe3+ ions in aqueous solution

It is of scientific and practical significance to sense and to remove heavy metal ions in the environment. In this work, four BODIPY-based fluorescent polymeric probes with the ability to sense and separate Fe3+ ions have been prepared via thiol-ene click reaction. The polymers have good thermal stability. Meanwhile, the results show that they have selective recognition capabilities only for Fe3+, which are mainly manifested as significant quenching of fluorescence and color modulation under visible light. The sensitivity is good, and the limit of detection reaches as low as 0.14 mu M. They can also be used as reversible chemical probes to detect Fe3+. Therefore, the click reaction provides us with a facile method for preparing fluorescent polymer probes.