Synthesis of organic nanoparticles of naphthalene–thiourea–thiadiazole-linked molecule as highly selective fluorescent and colorimetric sensor for Ag(I)

A novel fluorescent and colorimetric sensor was synthesized by a reprecipitation to probe Ag+ ions in water on naphthalene–thiourea–thiadiazole (NTTA) molecular nanocrystals. The fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) allowed a highly sensitive determination of free Ag+ ions in aqueous media. The possible mechanism was discussed.