Ferrocene derivatives of 1,2-phenylenediamine as electrochemical sensors and extractants for toxic metal ions

CHED 1167

Nicole Salazar, nsala001@fiu.edu, Robert J. Alvarado, and Konstantinos Kavallieratos, kavallie@fiu.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
Sensing and extraction of toxic metals, such as Pb and Cd is a challenging task. This study aims at designing metal-chelating agents as sensors by using solvent extraction from water into an organic phase. Our group has previously demonstrated that o-phenylenediamine-derived aryl sulfonamides chelate to Pb(II) and Cd(II), enabling efficient extraction. The current project involves the study of analogous ferrocene amide and thioamide derivatives, which could potentially act as electrochemical sensors for these metals. The ligands were synthesized from o-phenylenediamine and the corresponding carboxylic acid derivatives. The metal complexes of the ligands were synthesized by contacting ligand/triethylamine solutions in 1,2-dichloromethane (DCM) with aqueous solutions of the metal for 36 hrs. The metal complexes were then isolated and characterized. UV-VIS spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and electrochemical studies of the complexation and sensing of lead and comparisons with other metals will be discussed. Acknowledgement: N.S. is supported by NIH/NIGMS R25 GM061347.