The need for effective chemosensors for CN ions arises from their harmful effects on human health and the environment.
Two novel chemosensors, IF-1 and IF-2, were synthesized, with IF-2 demonstrating a strong selective binding to CN ions and a notable binding constant of 4.77 × 10 M and a low detection limit of 8.2 μM.
The color change from colorless to yellow upon binding with CN ions, coupled with DFT studies revealing significant charge transfer, indicates that IF-2 is a promising candidate for creating test strips for CN ion detection.