Sulfonamides are auspicious chemosensors which are capable to bind with ionic species through various ways like complexation, charge transfer, proton transfer etc. and produce a detection signal in the form of an optical change either in visible or UV-light and for electronic as well as fluorimetric spectra. Sulfonamides have gained much attention of analytical chemists these days as these are inexpensive, robust, green in nature and some what sensitive and selective to many anionic and cationic species. Due to their promising versatility in sensing properties, these are under great consideration in forensic, environmental, analytical and biochemistry laboratories. This review narrates how sulfonamides are being used to optically sense ionic species.
Keywords: Sulfonamide; colorimetic sensing; fluorescent sensing; naked eye sensing; optical sensing.
HIGHLIGHTSOptical sensors are of great importance these days because of their optical detection properties rather using Hi-tech techniques.Optical sensors are economical, robust, selective, sensitive and green in nature.The color change, shifts in electronic spectra or alterations in fluorescence pattern may be attributed by interaction between species to be sensed and Sulfonamides by different mechanism i.e. electron transfer, fluorescence energy transfer, charge transfer, hydrogen bonding, etc.LOD data is a proof of their prodigious efficiency of Sulfonamides as optical sensors.