Copper(II) Ion Promoted Reverse Solvatochromic Response of the Silatrane Probe to Spectral Shifts: Preferential Solvation and Computational Approach

The unique solvatochromic attitude of an analyte owing to its coordination with metal ions in solvents of different polarities is challenging. Herein, we introduce two new solvatochromic 4-(pentan-3-yl) benzaldehyde-based triazolyl silatrane probes (5 and 6). The solvatochromic behavior of both probes 5 and 6 was studied using Reichardt's E (30) and the Kamlet-Taft empirical scale by UV-visible spectra in 14 solvents (hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) and non-HBD), and the results show that probes 5 and 6 exhibit reverse solvatochromism. Probe 5 witnessed an enhancement in this behavior upon coordination with the Cu2+ ion in MeCN/MeOH solvents due to the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process. Interestingly, the binding of probe 5 with Cu2+ ions resulted in an instant color change in MeCN and MeOH from pale yellow to light blue and brown-red, respectively, which can be easily detected by the naked eye. A solvatochromic study of the complex 5-Cu2+ in binary mixtures of polar aprotic and polar protic solvents (MeCN/MeOH) discloses that the latter are more preferred over polar aprotic solvents in the solvation microsphere. The entire metal coordination process of probe 5 toward the Cu2+ ion can be visualized and was further evaluated by UV-vis/fluorescence spectral titrations, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations employing density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent-DFT (TD-DFT). The proposed analytical approach is believed to play a crucial role in the solvatochromic study of higher coordinated silicon compounds, which may be utilized to develop a solvent-dependent sensor.

Automated summary

This article introduces two new solvatochromic probes and studies their solvatochromic behavior in different solvents. The results show that these probes exhibit reverse solvatochromism, with one probe showing enhanced solvatochromism upon coordination with Cu2+ ions. The proposed method can easily detect the color change during the coordination process.