The naphthoate-modifying Cu-detective Bodipy sensors with the fluorescent ON-OFF performance unaffected by molecular configuration.

Two new boron-dipyrromethenes decorated with 8-hydroxyquinoline-naphthoate moiety, namely 4,4-difluoro-8-(5-(8-hydroxyquinoline-naphthoate))-3,5-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (8-HQ-N-DMe-Bodipy) (1) and 4,4-difluoro-8-(5-(8-hydroxyquinoline-naphthoate))-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (8-HQ-N-TMe-Bodipy) (2) have been synthesized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis discloses the very much similar steric arrangement of 8-hydroxyquinoline-naphthoate moiety in these two compounds as revealed by the close torsion angle of C-C-O-C bridge, 174.15 and 171.81° for 1 and 2, respectively, despite the different dihedral angle between quinoline moiety and Bodipy fluorophore for 1 (73.46°) and 2 (82.26°) due to the steric hindrance originated from the C-1/C-7 methyl substituents on Bodipy core for the latter species. Systemic optical studies unravel the red-shifted absorption and fluorescence emission together with slightly lower quantum yield for 1 relative to that of 2, indicating the configuration effect on their spectroscopic properties. However, the binding of Cu with hydroxyquinoline-naphthoate receptor in both 1 and 2 leads to similar fluorescent quenching characteristic due to the photo-induced electron transfer process on the basis of density functional theory calculations, suggesting their high sensitively fluorescent ON-OFF sensing potential to Cu almost unaffected by molecular configuration.