Development of a betalainic sensor for fluoride ion

Abstract

The fluoride ion is important in chemical synthesis and in the context of public health. There are several approaches to the quantification of fluoride in organic and aqueous media, yet precise, inexpensive and environmentally compatible methods are scarce. Betalains are nontoxic and water soluble natural pigments which can be semisynthesized from the aldimine coupling between betalamic acid and amines or amino acids. In this undergraduate research project we propose semisynthesis of three regioisomeric phenolic betalains, i.e., hydroxyl group in ortho, meta or para, as well as their derivatives protected with tert-butyldimethylsilyl groups for the quantification of fluoride ions in water. The method will be validated using fluoride ion selective electrode.