Submission Date

7-24-2026

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Chemistry

Faculty Mentor

Ryan Walvoord

Comments

Presented during the 28th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 24, 2026 at Ursinus College.

Project Description

Chlorite is a common contaminant found in drinking water known for causing adverse health effects. Water plants employ chlorine dioxide for disinfection treatment, which leads to the accumulation of chlorite in drinking water. Chlorite exposure can lead to shortness of breath and damage to oxygen carriers within the blood stream, and so chlorite levels in drinking water are strictly monitored. Methods for selective detecting of chlorite are limited and rely on expensive and immobile instrumentation, like ion-selective chromatography. Fluorescence-based probes could serve as an alternative, portable, and inexpensive means for detecting chlorite. This work explores the potential for a coumarin-based small molecule for reacting to chlorite with accompanying fluorescence enhancement. Reaction conditions, responses in absorbance and emission spectra, and sensitivity are investigated.

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