Fluorenylidene bridged cyclotriphosphazenes: 'turn-off' fluorescence probe for Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) ions.

A first series of the 4,4'-(9-fluorenylidene)diphenol (), () and 4,4'-(9-fluorenylidene)dianiline (), () bridged cyclotriphosphazene derivatives (, ) were synthesized by nucleophilic SN2(P) and SN1(P) reactions, respectively. The structural investigations of the compounds were verified by elemental analyses, mass spectrometry, UV-vis, FT-IR, (1)H and (31)P NMR techniques, X-ray crystallography (for , , ) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The metal sensing properties of novel bridged cyclotriphosphazene derivatives were also examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. These complexes showed high selectivity for Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) ions in solution.