A new colorimetric and fluorimetric sensor for metal cations based on poly(propilene amine) dendrimer modified with 1,8-naphthalimide

A new fluorescent first generation poly(propylene amine) dendrimer (PPI), peripherally modified with 4(butylamino-substituted-1,8-naphthalimide), has been synthesized and characterized. Its photophysical characteristics in organic solvents of different polarities were studied, and the influence of sodium hydroxide on its spectral characteristics in N,N-dimethylformamide is discussed. The complexes formed between the dendrimer and metal cations in solution have been studied with regard to the potential applications of the new dendrimer as a colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for metal ions. The fluorescence intensity of the dendrimer in the presence of metal cations (Zn2+, Co2+, Pb2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Fe3+) increases substantially revealing its sensor potential.