Selective Colorimetric Sensors for Cyanide and Acetate Ion in Partially Aqueous Medium

4-(thiazol-2-yldiazenyl)phenol (L1) and 2-((4-hydroxyphenyl) diazenyl)-5-nitrophenol (L2) based on azo phenol were synthesised and used as selective colorimetric sensor for CN- and AcO− ion in DMSO/H2O-HEPES (v/v; 1:1, pH–7.3 ± 0.2) and showed good sensitivity with large red shifts and nanomolar detection limit for CN- and AcO- ion. The stoichiometry of L1 with CN−/AcO− ion was found to be 1:1 and L2 with CN−/AcO− ion was found to be 1:2. Binding constant for L1+ CN−, L1 + AcO−, L2 + CN− and L2 + AcO− were calculated by B-H plot as 1.6 × 103, 8.0 × 102, 8.4 × 103 and 1.7 × 102 respectively. L2 showed high selectivity towards CN− ion with low detection limit of 81 nM and large binding constant. In addition, 1H NMR titration and DFT studies also supported the deprotonation mechanism of receptors in the presence of selective anions.