A convenient
access toward novel fluoroionophores based on 1-(2-pyridyl)-4-styrylpyrazoles
(PSPs) substituted at position 3 with donor or acceptor aryl groups
is reported. The synthesis proceeds in two steps: the first one via
Wittig olefination of the appropriate 4-formylpyrazole and then Mizoroki–Heck
coupling to yield the desired products in an overall yield of up to
69%. Photophysical properties of products (4-styryl) and their intermediates
(4-vinyl) were explored, finding that they have strong blue-light
emission with high quantum yields (up to 66%) due to ICT phenomena.
The 3-phenyl PSP was studied as a turn-off fluorescent probe in metal
ion sensing, finding a high selectivity to Hg2+ (LOD =
3.1 × 10–7 M) in a process that could be reversed
with ethylenediamine. The sensing mechanism and binding mode of the
ligand to Hg2+ were established by HRMS analysis and 1H NMR titration tests.