Complexation and fluorescence behavior of diazacrown ether carrying two anthryl pendants.

Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) fluoroionophores (1b, 2b) that consist of diazacrown and two 9-anthryl pendants show fluorescent enhancement with various guest salts. The diaza-12-crown-4 derivative (2b) exhibited Zn(2+) selectivity and in the presence of this cation the host fluorescence intensity was increased by a factor of 182. The guest cation-induced fluorescence enhancement of 2b was larger than the diaza-18-crown-6 derivative (1b).