ICT–Isomerization-Induced Turn-On Fluorescence Probe with a Large Emission Shift for Mercury Ion: Application in Combinational Molecular Logic

A unique turn-on fluorescent device based on a ferrocene–aminonaphtholate derivative specific for Hg2+ cation was developed. Upon binding with Hg2+ ion, the probe shows a dramatic fluorescence enhancement (the fluorescence quantum yield increases 58-fold) along with a large red shift of 68 nm in the emission spectrum. The fluorescence enhancement with a red shift may be ascribed to the combinational effect of C═N isomerization and an extended intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The response was instantaneous with a detection limit of 2.7 × 10–9 M. Upon Hg2+ recognition, the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox peak was anodically shifted by ΔE1/2 = 72 mV along with a “naked eye” color change from faint yellow to pale orange for this metal cation. Further, upon protonation of the imine nitrogen, the present probe displays a high fluorescence output due to suppression of the C═N isomerization process. Upon deprotonation using strong base, the fluorescence steadily decreases, which indicates that H+ and OH– can be used to regulate the off–on–off fluorescence switching of the present probe. Density functional theory studies revealed that the addition of acid leads to protonation of the imine N (according to natural bond orbital analysis), and the resulting iminium proton forms a strong H-bond (2.307 Å) with one of the triazole N atoms to form a five-membered ring, which makes the molecule rigid; hence, enhancement of the ICT process takes place, thereby leading to a fluorescence enhancement with a red shift. The unprecedented combination of H+, OH–, and Hg2+ ions has been used to generate a molecular system exhibiting the INHIBIT–OR combinational logic operation.