A chemosensor for dihydrogenphosphate based on an oxoazamacrocycle possessing three thiourea arms

Abstract

We report a new H-bond macrocyclic chromogenic chemosensor in organic media, H(3)L, which displayed drastic changes in its UV-vis spectra revealing selectivity for dihydrogenphosphate over other inorganic anions, such as acetate or fluoride. The X-ray crystal structures of the [H(4)L···NO(3)]·(CH(3)CN)(4) and [H(4)L···CF(3)CO(2)]·(CH(3)CN)(2) salt complexes are also reported.