¹⁹F NMR Probes: Molecular Logic Material Implications for the Anion Discrimination and Chemodosimetric Approach for Selective Detection of H₂O₂

Detection and discrimination of similar solvation energies of bioanalytes are vital in medical and practical applications. Currently, various advanced techniques are equipped to recognize these crucial bioanalytes. Each strategy has its own benefits and limitations. One-dimensional response, lack of discrimination power for anions, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generally limit the utilized fluorescent probe. Therefore, a cutting-edge, refined method is expected to conquer these limitations. The use of ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy for detecting and discriminating essential analytes in practical applications is an emerging technique. As an alternative strategy, we report two fluorinated boronic acid-appended pyridinium salts 5-F-o-BBBpy (1) and 5-CF₃-o-BBBpy (2). Probe (1) acts as a chemosensor for identifying and discriminating inorganic anions with similar solvation energies with strong bidirectional ¹⁹F shifts in the lower ppm range. Probe (2) turns as a chemo dosimeter for the selective detection and precise quantification of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) among other competing ROS. To demonstrate real-life applicability, we successfully quantified H₂O₂ via probe (2) in different pharmaceutical, dental, and cosmetic samples. We found that tuning the −F/-CF₃ moiety to the arene boronic acid enables the π-conjugation, a crucial prerequisite for the discrimination of anions and H₂O₂. Characteristic ¹⁹F NMR fingerprints in the presence of anions revealed a complementary implication (IMP)/not implication (NIMP) logic function. Finally, the 16 distinct binary Boolean operations on two logic values are defined for “functional completeness” using the special property of the IMP gate. Boolean logic’s ability to handle information by utilizing characteristic ¹⁹F NMR fingerprints has not been seen previously in a single chemical platform for detecting and differentiating such anions.