A Review on Recent Development of Phenothiazine-Based Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Sensors for the Detection of Cations, Anions, and Neutral Analytes

Abstract

This review provides an in-depth examination of recent progress in the development of chemosensors, with a particular emphasis on colorimetric and fluorescent probes. It systematically explores various sensing mechanisms, including metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT), photoinduced electron transfer (PET), intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and elucidates the mechanism of action for cation and anion chemosensors. Special attention is given to phenothiazine-based fluorescence probes, highlighting their exceptional sensitivity and rapid detection abilities for a broad spectrum of analytes, including cations, anions, and small molecules. Phenothiazine chemosensors have emerged as versatile tools widely employed in a multitude of applications, spanning environmental and biomedical fields. Furthermore, it addresses existing challenges and offers insights into future research directions, aiming to facilitate the continued advancement of phenothiazine-based fluorescent probes.

Graphical Abstract