A specific sensing ensemble for cyanide ion in aqueous solution

A specific two-component ensemble probe has been designed and developed to detect cyanide ion in aqueous solution. It is comprised water-soluble fluorescence dye HPTS and boronic acid functionalized quencher/receptor TB3PB. The nucleophilic addition of cyanide ion to boronic acid groups of TB3PB yields an intramolecular complex which will weaken the electrostatic interaction of TB3PB and HPTS, and as a result, the fluorescence of HPTS recovers largely.