A click mediated route to a novel fluorescent pyridino-extended calix[4]pyrrole sensor: synthesis and binding studies

Abstract

A novel fluorescent aryl-extended phenoxycalix[4]pyrrole ditopic sensor with enhanced cation recognition properties was efficiently synthesized via click chemistry and characterized through both molecular fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results demonstrate the selectivity of this fluorescent sensor for fluoride when taking into account its interaction with anions, while its cation binding properties showed selectivity for iron, and its sensing properties for several cations in dimethylsulfoxide. This work introduces a new ditopic receptor able to complex major environmentally relevant species and depicts the importance of click chemistry in the introduction of new tetra-chromophoric calix[4]pyrrole binding platforms with specific photophysical properties.