A fluorescent chemosensor for Sn2+ and Cu2+ based on a carbazole-containing diarylethene

Abstract

A novel diarylethene with a carbazole moiety was developed for the highly selective and sensitive detection of Sn2+ and Cu2+ in methanol. Its fluorescence was enhanced with a 76 nm blue shift and selective fluorescence quenching occurred upon the addition of Sn2+ and Cu2+, respectively, over a wide range of tested cations. The compound formed complexes with Sn2+ and Cu2+ in a 1 : 1 stoichiometry and has the detection limits of 1.9 μM and 1.2 μM, respectively. Moreover, the compound can be applied to detect Sn2+ and Cu2+ in natural water samples with high accuracy.