Cd(II) sensing in water using novel aromatic iminodiacetate based fluorescent chemosensors.

[structure: see text]. Compounds 1 and 2 were designed as fluorescent chemosensors for Cd(II). For both, a selective determination of Cd(II) over Zn(II) was achieved. The fluorescence emission of both was pH-independent and switched off between pH 3-11 in 100% water. Whereas the recognition of Cd(II) at pH 7.4 gave rise to the formation of charge-transfer complexes (exciplexes) for both (lambdamax ca. 500 and 506 nm, respectively), the recognition of Zn(II) only switched on the (monomeric) anthracene emission of 2, while for 1 it was red-shifted (lambdamax = 468 nm).