Two novel fluorescent sensors based on a tetraphenylethylene derivative (TPE-COOH) were designed and prepared for the rapid detection of cupric ion and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in 100% aqueous solution.

A novel tetraphenylethylene complex composed of 4',4'',4''',4''''-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (H ETTC) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DOAB) with enhanced solid-state emission is designed and synthesized through an ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy. The aggregation-induced emission property, phase behavior, and supramolecular structure of the complex are characterized by a combination of experimental measurements. The experimental results reveal that the ISA complex can self-assemble into an ordered helical supramolecular structure with enhanced luminescent properties, although the ETTC cores possess extensive conjugation and high rigidity. Due to the prolonged conjugation length, the fluorescence quantum yield of ETTC-DOAB is boosted to 66 %. Moreover, it is demonstrated that assemblies of the ISA complex are an effective sensor for Cu . Owing to the disassembly modulation of ETTC-DOAB aggregations, the fluorescence emission of the assemblies can be selectively and sensitively quenched by Cu , with a detection limit as low as 12.6 nm. The enhanced emission efficiency, in combination with the liquid crystallinity and superior sensing performance to Cu , make the ETTC-DOAB complex a potential candidate for the fabrication of a luminescent device and chemosensor for Cu detection.