Use of Molecular Logic Gates for the Tuning of Chemosensor Dynamic Range

Dynamic range is a crucial aspect in the development of fluorescent chemosensors. We aimed to address this issue using molecular logic gates. By creating an AND logic gate with two binding sites for the same type of ion, we increased the dynamic range of a sodium chemosensor while still using the same ionophore. Naphthalimide derivatives 1 and 2 were synthesized to test the plausibility of this application. Being an AND logic gate, the second molecule requires two Na⁺ ions, while molecule 1 requires a single ion for sensing. The application of this molecular logic gate is a useful method of altering the chemosensor range.