Synthesis of Novel 4‐((Substituted bis‐indolyl)methyl)‐benzo‐15‐crown‐5 for the Colorimetric Detection of Hg2+ Ions in an Aqueous Medium

A practical, two-step synthesis of novel 4-(substituted bis-indolyl)methyl)benzo-15-crown-5 has been reported. The strategy employed for the synthesis of the desired molecules involved Duff formylation of benzo-15-crown-5 to get 4-formyl benzo-15-crown-5 followed by subsequent reactions with substituted indoles in trifluoroacetic acid to yield novel 4-(substituted bis-indolyl)methyl)benzo-15-crown-5 in moderate to good yield. One of the reported novel molecule tested for the complexation behavior with various metal cations, such as Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ Ca2+, Al3+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Sn2+, Ba2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+, showed a visual colorimetric probe for the detection of mercury cations (Hg2+) in an aqueous medium.