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

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