LAUSR

The development of naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based sensors for weakly basic anion recognition is an attractive challenge. This paper presents an NDI-based polymer for the recognition of weakly basic oxyanions (AcO−, PhCO2−, ClO4−, and IO4−) and halides (Cl−, Br−, and I−) through the formation of NDI.− bands and changes in the π–π* transition bands of the polymer in UV/Vis and circular dichroism spectra. The recognition results from anion-to-NDI thermal electron transfer and disturbance of the self-assembly of the polymer by anions. In particular, the formation of NDI.− induced by Cl− was observed, which is a distinctive advantage of the polymer in comparison with small molecular NDIs. The results demonstrate a practical approach to versatile functional materials through a combination of anion–NDI interactions and polymeric self-assembly.