A turn-off fluorescent probe for the detection of Cu 2+ based on a tetraphenylethylene-functionalized salicylaldehyde Schiff-base

A tetraphenylethylene-functionalized salicylaldehyde Schiff-base fluorescent probe ( TPE-An-Py ) with aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) characteristics exhibited high sensitivity towards copper( ii ) ions in aqueous media with a “turn-off” fluorescence mechanism; limit of detection is 2.36 × 10 −7 mol L −1 .