Bicolour fluorescent molecular sensor for cations: design and experimental validation

Molecular entities whose fluorescence spectra are different when they bind metal cations are termed bicolour fluorescent molecular sensors. The basic design criteria of this kind of compound are presented and the different fluorescent responses are discussed in terms of their chemical behaviour and electronic features. These latter elements include intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), formation of intramolecular and intermolecular excimer/exciplex complexes and Fo ̈rster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Changes in the electronic properties of the fluorophore based on the decoupling between its constitutive units upon metal binding are also discussed. The possibility of generating fluorescent bicolour indicators that can capture metal cations in the gas phase and at solid–gas interfaces is also discussedThis work was supported by the Basque Government (Grants IT-1346-19 and IT1180-19), by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN-FEDER, Grants PID2019-104772GB-I00, PID2019-111281GB-I00, RED2018-102387-T, and RED2018-102471-T), and by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European's Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement ERC-2020-SyG 951281)