Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Nitroaromatic Compounds and Metal Ions by Supramolecular Assemblies of 3,3',5,5'-Azobenzenetetracarboxylic Acid and 4,4'-Bipyridine.

A supramolecular compound, (H4L)(4,4'-bpy)2 (1) (H4L = 1,2-bis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)diazene oxide, 4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) with 2D + 2D → 2D 3-fold parallel interpenetrated layer feature, has been prepared which was investigated as selective sensing material for detection of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and metal ions, and exhibits significant fluorescence quenching toward NACs and high selectivity for detection of Fe3+ ion. The result indicates that 1 is a promising multi-functional fluorescence probe for detecting and recognizing NACs and metal ions with high sensitivity and selectivity.