Novel anthracene-based fluorescent sensor for selective recognition of acetate anions in protic media

Novel 9-substituted anthracene derivatives were synthesized and characterized by IR, HRMS, H-1 and C-13 NMR. The fluorescence titration experiments were explored to study the interaction between the compounds and some anions, such as H2PO4-, P2O74-, F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, AcO- in H2O (0.01 M HEPES, pH = 7.4) under imitated physiological conditions. One of these compounds, bearing a phenylalaninol unit, showed specific fluorescence enhancement with acetate anion. The sensor L1 was found to present good selective fluorescence sensing ability to acetate anion through photoinduced electron-transfer mechanism in protic media. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.