Tunable fluorescence behaviors of a supramolecular system based on a fluorene derivative and cucurbit[8]uril and its application for ATP sensing.

In this work, we developed a supramolecular fluorescent system based on host-guest interactions between a fluorene derivative carrying two bispyridinium units (FPy) and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]). In aqueous solution, the system showed outstanding tunable emission properties. After being encapsulated into the rigid hydrophobic cavity of the CB[8] host, the fluorescence emission of fluorene had an obvious red-shift with enhanced quantum yield. Interestingly, the emission behavior of the FPy/CB[8] complex showed a two-step self-assembly process when the molar ratio of FPy to CB[8] changed from 1 : 1 to 1 : 2. Besides, the influence of several factors on the emission properties of the FPy/CB[8] complex was also investigated, like pH value, salt concentration, and temperature. Finally, the fluorescent FPy/CB[8] complexes displayed a good performance for detection of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP), which can cause aggregation-induced quenching of the complexes via electrostatic attraction.