The application of 7H-indolo[1,2-a]quinolinium merocyanine as a new water sensor in organic solvents

ABSTRACT: The 7H-indolo[1,2-a]quinolinium merocyanine was applied as a new water sensor in organic solvents such as ethanol, propane-1-ol, propane-2-ol, DMSO, and DMF. The spectral changes of the dye caused by the addition of increasing amount of water into an organic solvent were investigated. Based on the results, the calibration curves were found as a relation between the position of the absorption band of the dye and the water concentration ranging from about 0.05 to 11% (w/w). In case of ethanol, propane-1-ol and propane-2-ol the plots were linear, whereas in DMSO and DMF, better results were obtained with the use of a polynomial function. The method allowed to determine the water content in a fast and precise manner. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11696-017-0328-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.