Highly selective and sensitive fluorescence turn-on probe for a catalytic amount of Cu(I) ions in water through the click reaction

A simple azide-functionalized coumarin (1) was utilized as a fluorescence turn-on probe for a catalytic amount of Cu(I) ions in HEPES buffer. The probe has shown a selective and sensitive response to the cuprous ions over other various cations through a Cu(I)-mediated click reaction of 1 to an alkyne. When a catalytic amount of copper sulfates was added in the presence of ascorbate, the prominent fluorescence ‘Off–On’ change of 1 was observed so that submicromolar concentration of copper ions was detectable by the naked eye.