Recent advances in the fluorescent and colorimetric detection of dihydrogen phosphate

In biological systems, phosphates and their derivatives show vital roles in signal transduction and storing of energy. Due to the biotic and chemical importance of dihydrogen phosphate, the detection of the anion has gained greater focus in the area of sensing and supramolecular chemistry. Among the various methods, colorimetric and fluorescent recognition provides a simple and easy way of detection without the need for sophisticated instrumentation and technical skills. The present review focuses on highlighting the colorimetric and fluorescent detection of dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-) via various detection mechanisms. This review divides the content into six major subtitles (i) Chemosensors based on H- bonding interaction (ii) Chemosensors based on deprotonation mechanism (iii) Chemosensors based on charge transfer interaction (iv) Chemosensors based on photoinduced electron transfer (v) Macrocycles as chemosensors (vi) Metal complexes as chemosensors. In each subdivision, more attention has been given to the detailed mechanism of detection.