Detection of chloroform in water using an azo dye-modified β-cyclodextrin – Epichlorohydrin copolymer as a fluorescent probe

Chlorination disinfection by-products (DBPs) in water pose a health threat to humans and the aquatic environment. Their detection in water sources is therefore vital. Herein we present the detection of chloroform, a DBP, using a molecular fluorescent probe. The detection was based on the quenching of fluorescence of the probe by chloroform due to host–guest complex formation between β-cyclodextrin in the probe and the chloroform molecule. The stability constant for the host–guest complex was high at 3.825 × 104 M−1. Chloroform quenched the fluorescence of the copolymer the most compared to the other small chlorinated compounds studied, suggesting that the probe was more sensitive to chloroform, with a sensing factor of 0.35 compared to as low as 0.0073 for dichloromethane. There was no interference from other chloroalkanes on the quenching efficiency of chloroform. The probe was used to detect chloroform in dam water as well as in bottled water. Detection of chloroform in both water samples using the probe was possible without chemically treating the water samples which may introduce other pollutants.