LAUSR

Abstract In this work, 3,3′-(((1E,1′E)-(H,12H-5,11-methanodibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-2,8-diyl)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(1,1-dimethyl-1H-benzo[e]indole-3-ium-2,3-diyl))bis(propane-1-sulfonate) (1), 3,3’-(((1E,1′E)-(6H,12H-5,11-methanodibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-2,8-diyl)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(3,3-dimethyl-3H-indole-1-ium-2,1-diyl))bis(propane-1-sulfonate) (2), 2,2’-((1E,1′E)-(6H,12H-5,11-methanodibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-2,8-diyl)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(1,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indol-1-ium) iodide (3) and 2,2’-((1E,1′E)-(6H,12H-5,11-methanodibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-2,8-diyl)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(1,1,3-trimethyl-1H-benzo[e]indol-3-ium) iodide (4) were designed and synthesized by ethylene bridging of the N-substituted indolium salts and the Troger’s Base (TB) framework. The probes exhibited a longer absorption and emission wavelength and the emission wavelength of them in dichloromethane (DCM) was more than 600 nm, performed a red fluorescence. All of the probes could work on the extreme acidic and the extreme alkaline environments and showed a good liner response in the working pH range. Especially, 2 and 4 were soluble in water and manifested a good pH sensing in a water system. Also, 1H NMR analysis illustrated how these dyes worked as the pH-sensitive fluorescence probes. In addition, they performed excellent reversibility, high selectivity and good photostability.