A strategically synthesized arseno-discriminatory tetra-phenoxido hetero-trinuclear complex envisioned for the recognition of iAs and oAs from Oryza sp. and aquatic crustaceans.

A heterotrimetallic [Mn II (Cu II ) 2 (C 18 H 18 N 2 O 2 ) 2 ] complex VBCMERI has been unveiled herein to monitor its synergistic propensity towards aqueous phase As3+ (iAs and oAs) detection. VBCMERI was structurally probed by numerous analytical tools like ESI-MS, FT-IR, and SCXRD. The aqueous phase selective chromogenic alteration of the sensory probe from greenish-yellow to colorless was observed owing to interaction with As 3+ (cationic form, iAs). This phenomenon can be ascribed to the displacement of the Mn 2+ center with As 3+ , which has further been experimentally validated through cyclic voltammetric titration studies, FT-IR, and ESI-MS, and theoretically corroborated with density functional theory calculations. Interestingly, aqueous phase selective turn-on fluorogenic enhancement of the sensory probe was observed upon interaction with AsO 2 - (anionic form, iAs) owing to the displacement of the arsenite anion with the pivalic acid group. The distinct chromogenic alteration from greenish-yellow to colorless and the fluorogenic enhancement of VBCMERI upon interaction with the respective As 3+ (iAs) and AsO 2 - (iAs) were successfully implemented for monitoring arsenic contamination in groundwater samples and diverse types of Oryza sp. grains from the assorted arsenic-affected zones. The competitive accumulation of arsenobetaine (oAs) in the exoskeleton and muscles of aquatic crustaceans (herein, Penaeus sp.) can be distinctly differentiated based on the turn-on fluorogenic response. Based on the sensing response and competitive accumulation tendency of different forms of arsenic in different environments, arseno-adducts with VBCMERI have been theoretically modeled for corroboration with experimental findings. The VBCMERI-AsO2- adduct was also highly efficient in regenerating the VBCMERI sensor selectively in the presence of contaminants like Pb2+. This reversible behavior was further exploited to mimic a molecular-level 3-input-2-output logic gate ensemble.