Fluorescent labeling of phenol using 8-(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazinylamino)quinoline Original Research Article

8-(4,6-Dichloro-1,3,5-triazinylamino)quinoline (DTAQ), a new fluorescent reagent for determining phenol, was synthesized by reacting 8-aminoquinoline with cyanuric chloride at 0°C and its properties were studied. Based on the excitation and emission peak shifts from 334 and 443 nm to 361 and 485 nm, respectively, when DTAQ reacted with phenol in alkaline medium, a simple and selective method for the spectrofluorimetric determination of phenol has been established. The relative S.D. of the method was found to be 3.7% by 9 replicate determinations of 1.7×10−7 g ml−1 phenol solution. The linear range is 1.7×10−7–1.3×10−5 g ml−1 with a detection limit of 1.1×10−8 g ml−1 (S/N=3). The method has been successfully used to determine phenols in industrial wastewater. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained by using 4-aminoantipyrine colorimetry.