6-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-2-naphthoylacryl Acid: a Highly Selective and Sensitive Fluorescent Sensor of Copper(II)

A novel fluorescent probe, 6-(N,N-dimethylamino)-2-naphthoylacryl acid(ACADAN) was designed and synthesized as a fluorescent sensor for Cu²⁺ in aqueous media. Significant amplification of fluorescence signals without causing any discernible change of maximum fluorescence emission wavelength(λ_max) was observed upon the addition of Cu²⁺. Importantly, ACADAN is capable of recognizing Cu²⁺ selectively in aqueous media in the presence of various biologically relevant metal ions and the prevalent toxic metal ions in the environment with high sensitivity(detection limit was 0.1 μmol/L).