A Metallosupramolecular Coordination Polymer for the 'Turn-on' Fluorescence Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide

A coumarin based probe for the efficient detection of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous medium is reported. The investigated coumarine-based derivative forms spherical nanoparticles in aqueous media. In presence of Pd²⁺, a metallosupramolecular coordination polymer is formed, which is accompanied by quenching of the coumarin emission at 390 nm. Its Pd²⁺ complex could be used as a probe for chemoselective detection of monohydrogensulfide (HS^-). Presence of HS^- leads to a'turn-on' fluorescence signal, resulting from decomplexation of Pd²⁺ from the metallosupramolecular probe. The probe was successfully applied for qualitative and quantitative detection of HS^- in different sources of water directly collected from sea, river, tap and laboratory drain water, as well as in growth media for aquatic species.