Turn-on selective fluorescent probe for trivalent cations

•A novel fluorescent sensor 1 for only trivalent cations was designed and synthesized.•It showed a large fluorescence enhancement in the presence of only trivalent cations.•The detection limits of 1 towards trivalent cations are μM range.

A novel fluorescent sensor 1 (1 = 10-(2-(((pyridin-2-yl)methylamino)methyl)phenol)methyl-anthracene) for trivalent cations has been synthesized and characterized. Both UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopic studies demonstrated that the new receptor 1 was highly sensitive and selective toward trivalent cations, while there was no response to monovalent and divalent cations in methanol. Upon binding with trivalent cations, the emission bands of 1 red-shifted for all the trivalent cations from 411 nm to 421 nm and their fluorescence intensities were enhanced. In particular, Fe3 + could be obviously discriminated from Fe2 +. The binding modes of 1 and the trivalent cations (M3 + ions) were found to be 1:1 and confirmed by Job plot, 1H NMR titration and ESI-mass spectrometry analysis.

Graphical abstractA novel fluorescent sensor 1 (1 = 10-(2-(((pyridin-2-yl)methylamino)methyl)phenol)methyl-anthracene) has been synthesized and characterized. Upon binding with trivalent cations, the emission bands of 1 red-shifted for all the trivalent cations from 411 nm to 421 nm and their fluorescence intensities were enhanced. In particular, Fe3+ could be obviously discriminated from Fe2+.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide