Highly pre-organized fluorescent naphthotube for efficient detection of uranyl ions

Supramolecular fluorescent sensors have garnered extensive research attention and found broad applications in biochemical sensing attributed to their high selectivity, rapid response, stimulus responsiveness, and ease of modification, which stem from their inherent molecular recognition and self-assembly capabilities. Herein, supramolecular fluorescent sensors based on anthracene-functionalized naphthotubes have been successfully developed and utilized for the efficient detection of uranyl ions. Owing to the highly pre-organized carboxyl groups on the naphthotubes, uranyl ions are effectively captured, forming a non-fluorescent or weakly fluorescent complex to quench the fluorescence of anthracene. The fluorescent sensor exhibited a limit of detection as low as 53 nM, coupled with high sensitivity, rapid response time, and high selectivity. Moreover, it maintained robust detection capabilities in diverse aqueous environments such as seawater, river water, and tap water, demonstrating its promising potential for uranyl ions detection. This study provides a new idea for the development of detection methods for uranyl ions in complex environmental samples.