Ac2O/HCl Modulated Fluorescence On-Off Model Based on Arylmaleimide

A dye incorporated naphthalene and bisindolylmaleimide was synthesized. The hydroxyl attached to naphthalene lead to fluorescence quench of binindolylmaleimide. The fluorescence was recovered upon acetic anhydride addition. However, HCl addition quenched the fluorescence emission again. Therefore, a switchable emission "off-on" model can be established. Frontier molecular orbital analysis uncovered the underlying signal mechanism.