Revisiting -dicyanovinyl substituted calix[4]pyrrole : toward the chemodosimetric detection of hydrazine in solution

Calix[4]pyrrole derivatives are usually used to recognize charged species or polar guests through non-covalent interactions, but the chemodosimetric approach remains scarce in the literature. In this study, the selective chemodosimetric detection and quantification of hydrazine, a hazardous pollutant commonly used in industy, was performed using UV-spectroscopy with a repurposed -dicyanovinyl substituted calix[4]pyrrole sensor. The selectivity of the chemodosimeter towards hydrazine was evaluated in acetonitrile with various nucleophiles (nitrogen-containing compounds and a thiol). In addition, the influence of several parameters (time, water content, and temperature) on hydrazine detection by the sensor was evaluated. This study allows for the sensing of hydrazine with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.3 mg/L and a linear response in the 10-1000 M range. The ability to detect hydrazine with the naked eye has also been demonstrated. This paper reports one of the first chemodosimetric approach employed with calix[4]pyrrole to detect and quantify a neutral molecule, namely hydrazine.