A selective colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor based-on naphthol for detection of Al3+ and Cu2+

• An easy-to-make colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for Al3+ and Cu2+ was designed and synthesized.
• This sensor can be used to simultaneously detect Al3+ and Cu2+ ions over other cations with high selectivity.
• Al3+ and Cu2+ resulted in an instant color change of 1 from yellow to orange and dark blue, respectively.

A simple and easily synthesized colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor 1, based on naphthol moieties as a binding and signaling unit, has been synthesized in a one step procedure. Chemosensor 1 exhibited a color change from yellow to orange and fluorescence enhancement with a red shift upon binding to Al3+ in acetonitrile. Moreover, it can selectively detect Cu2+ ions via an ion-promoted oxidation reaction in acetonitrile, resulting in a selective color change from yellow to dark blue and a fluorescence quenching effect. Furthermore, chemosensor 1 showed colorimetric and fluorescence selectivity for Cu2+ in aqueous acetonitrile solution.

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