Response of Two-Dimensional Polymeric Cadmium Ferrocenyl Disulfonates to Heavy Metal Ions

A sandwich-like 2D infinite framework of {Cd(pbbm)₂(SO₃FcSO₃)]·(CH₃OH)₂·(H₂O)₆} _n (1) with nanosized porous structure Fc(SO₃)₂Na₂ = ferrocene-1,1′-disulphonate, pbbm = 1,1′-(1,3-propylene)-bis-1H-benzimidazole] was prepared by combining d ¹⁰ Cd²⁺ ions with highly conjugated pbbm and disodium ferrocene-1,1′-disulfonate. Experimental results show that 1 could serve as a new fluorescent probe for the detection of many divalent metal ions in water, such as Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺, and trace organic solvents, including acetone, toluene, methylene chloride, ether, tetrahydrofuran, and methanol. The main product was very different from previous chemosensory materials that only identify one or two metal ions. The powdery multipurpose chemosensory materials proposed here could also sequester dangerous heavy metal ions, especially Pb²⁺. A computational study of ferrocene-1,1′-disulfonate and 1 gave insight into the process of ion exchange and sorption. This study introduces a promising new field of fluorescent chemosensors based on nanoporous coordination polymers with free functional groups.