Water switched aggregation/disaggregation strategies of a coumarin–naphthalene conjugated sensor and its selectivity towards Cu2+ and Ag+ ions along with cell imaging studies on human osteosarcoma cells (U-2 OS)

Abstract

A simple coumarin–naphthalene conjugated chemosensor (R1) exhibited an excellent AIE effect in methanol/water (50/50, v/v) with a perfect rectangular shape of aggregation, which was confirmed by SEM analysis. R1 could recognise Cu²⁺ ions functioning as a selective chemosensor and identify Ag⁺ in a chemodosimeter approach. The biocompatibility of R1 and bio-sensing of Cu²⁺/Ag⁺ ions were also evaluated in human osteosarcoma cells (U-2 OS). A single crystal X-ray analysis confirmed the structure as well as the hydrogen bonding interaction for the dimerization of the compound.