A new bis(pyrenyl)azadiene-based probe for the colorimetric and fluorescent sensing of Cu(II) and Hg(II)

A novel colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor 2, made up of two pyrene units connected by a 2-aza-1,3-butadiene ionophore, was designed and prepared for the selective detection of Cu2+ and Hg2+ in the presence of other metal cations. This molecular sensor exhibits substantial colour changes and fluorescence enhancement upon complexation with these metal cations in acetonitrile solutions, with detection limits in the order of 10−6 M. Job's plots revealed a 1:1 stoichiometry rationalized by theoretical DFT calculations.