A highly selective and colorimetric naked-eye chemosensor for Cu2+

A sample and practical colorimetric naked-eye chemosensor 3-nitro-4-ethylenediamido-nitrobenzene (2) for metal cations was designed and synthesized. It displays high selectivity and sensitivity for Cu2+ by the UV absorption which appeared a new peak at 525 nm and color change from yellow to red by naked-eye in CH3OH/H2O pH 7.6.