An Imidazole‐Functionalized Boron‐Dipyrromethene Derivative for Spectrophotometric Fluorescence Detection of Fe ²⁺ and Electrochemical Sensing of Cu ²⁺

ABSTRACT A novel Boron‐dipyrromethene derivative (BODIPY‐3) was synthesized by functionalizing the meso position of the BODIPY core with an imidazole‐containing moiety and evaluated as both a spectrophotometric and electrochemical sensor. The spectrophotometric sensing behavior of BODIPY‐3 toward Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , and Cu 2+ ions was investigated. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed a highly selective response to Fe 2+ , a moderate affinity for Fe 3+ , and a lower sensitivity toward Cu 2+ . Based on calibration studies, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined as 28.665 µM and 95.551 µM for Fe 2+ , 30.999 µM and 103.331 µM for Fe 3+ , and 26.216 µM and 87.386 µM for Cu 2+ , respectively, with low relative standard deviation values, indicating good repeatability. For electrochemical sensing, pencil graphite electrodes were modified with polypyrrole and BODIPY‐3 (BODIPY‐3/PPy/PGE) via cyclic voltammetry. Differential pulse voltammetry enabled sensitive Cu 2+ detection, yielding LOD and LOQ values of 0.069 ppm and 0.231 ppm, respectively. The applicability of the developed sensor was demonstrated using real water samples, with recovery values ranging from 94.67% to 102.86%. Overall, the results highlight the potential of imidazole‐functionalized BODIPY‐based systems for selective metal ion sensing, with demonstrated electrochemical sensing of Cu 2+ and spectrophotometric detection of Fe 2+ , suggesting their applicability in environmental monitoring.