PEGylated Flavonoid as Green Sensor for Cu (II) Detection

Abstract

PEGylation is used to obtain a water-soluble chrysin derivative. The PEGylated chrysin forms a stable, colored complex with Cu (II) ions in aqueous solution, with a 2:1 ligand-to-metal stoichiometry. Based on these findings, a simple and rapid spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of Cu (II) in aqueous samples is developed using PEGylated chrysin as a sensing agent. The analytical procedure is performed entirely in aqueous media without the use of toxic organic solvents. This work demonstrates the use of a PEGylated flavonoid as an analytical probe for metal ion detection and highlights PEGylation as a sustainable and technologically attractive strategy for the development of fully water-based analytical methods employing natural products.