Aldehyde spiropyran fluorescent probe for rapid determination of hydrazine in environmental water

Abstract Hydrazine often receives publicity because it has a wide range of applications but high toxicity at the same time. Here, we invented a novel aldehyde spiropyran fluorescent probe (SP‐CHO) for fluorescence determination of hydrazine. The probe was synthesized through a hydrolysis reaction and a condensation reaction. It exhibits a specific response to hydrazine. The influence factors and anti‐interference ability of SP‐CHO identifying hydrazine were studied. HRMS, 1 H NMR, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to reveal the recognition mechanism. Results showed that SP‐CHO can be used for fluorescence determination of hydrazine with high selectivity and sensitivity. An SP‐CHO‐based fluorescence method was established for quantitation of hydrazine. The detection limit was 1.26 μmol/l, and the linear range was 5–100 μmol/l. The determination of hydrazine in water samples can be completed within 10 min, which shows good application prospects in real‐time detection and process monitoring.