Selective sensors for Zn2+ cations based on new green fluorescent poly(amidoamine) dendrimers peripherally modified...

The paper reports on the spectral photophysical characteristics of two new fluorescent PAMAM dendrimers of zero and second generation decoreted with 1,8-naphthalimide units, designed for ionic detection. The dendrimers were studied by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their ability to detect ions has been evaluated in acetonitrile by monitoring the quenching of the fluoresence intensity. Different ions have been tested: Zn(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) for the purpose. The results have shown clearly that only Zn(2+) could be efficiently detected using the dendrimer of second generation. In addition, it has been shown that for both dendrimers in a acetonitrile-water solution, the fluoresence intensity is pH dependant, hence could find application as a detector of harmful pH changes in the environment.