Photophysics, pH Sensing, and Hydrolysis Study of a Novel 1,8-Naphthalimide Derivative

Abstract

In this study, a novel highly emissive compound was synthesized via a two-stepsynthetic procedure and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and FTIR. Then its photophysicalproperties, pH sensing behaviors and pH-dependent hydrolysis were systematically investigatedby ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopy. Photophysics studies were carried out in fourteencommon organic solvents and absorption/emission spectra were recorded in Britton Robinsonbuffers (pH=3-12) to determine pH sensing behaviors. From the photophysical results, it hasbeen shown that the novel compound exhibits strongly solvent polarity dependent emission andhas high quantum yield (up to 0.72). Furthermore, at pH=12, absorbance started to decreasewhile emission was increasing and blue-shifting due to basic hydrolysis after a several minutes.Therefore, time dependent hydrolysis was also investigated at mentioned pH.