Organic-inorganic hybrids (OIH) are a versatile type of material that joins organic and inorganic moieties in a polymeric matrix and can be easily synthesized by sol-gel method. OIH can be doped with chemosensors to yield an ion-sensitive polymeric matrix that can be used in the design of a more complex sensory device. Heterocyclic aldehydes show promising optical properties for supramolecular interactions with different ions, through molecular recognition and changes in the optical signal. Cu(II) is a cation with biological and environmental relevance, being an appealing target for the design of chemosensors.

Following the group’s work on OIH materials and heterocyclic chromophores/fluorophores, this work reports the synthesis and characterization of an OIH based on Jeffamine THF-170 and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (3-ICPTES), doped with a previously synthesized heterocyclic aldehyde that features a naked-eye detection of Cu(II). Additionally, the organic-inorganic hybrid material show color changes in the presence of Cu(II). Therefore, the obtained material shows promising properties to be used in the development of an optical fiber sensor for Cu(II) detection.