A cyanine-based chemosensor containing dipicolylamine moieties is reported and its structure is welldefined.
Investigation on the optical property shows it is pH-independent. Acidic medium can induce
the color change from azure to dark blue while it presents the green in the alkaline condition (pH 10)
in comparison to the neutral condition. More, owing to the introduction of dipicolylamine units, this
chemosensor can be used as a colorimetric indicator for Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions along with color change
from green to bright blue. Especially, its copper complex has a capability of determining the sulfide anion
(S2−) with high selectivity, and as a consequence, the color of solution turns back to the green. This work
provides a promising indicator for the analysis of multi species