A highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for ruthenium: oxidation plays a triple role.

Ruthenium comes to its senses: Determining how effectively ruthenium residues are removed from olefin metathesis reactions calls for an alternative evaluation method to ICP-MS. A fluorescent chemosensor for ruthenium has been developed based on an alkene oxidation reaction (see figure). This fluorescence method has a good selectivity as well as an excellent sensitivity and a 0.32 ppb detection limit. Its streamlined and high-throughput character is demonstrated by sensing residual Ru in samples containing functionalized organic compounds.