Turn-on type chemical sensing of vitamin K4 by fluorene dendrimers with naphthalene segments

G1 and G2 fluorene dendrimers with naphthalene termini were synthesized as a fluorescence turn-on type chemical sensor for vitamin K4. The fluorene dendrimers were prepared by Williamson ether reaction between the fluorene core with dihydroxy groups and dendritic naphthalene segments with methylene chloride by a convergent method. We investigated the relationship between the dendrimer generation and vitamin K4 recognition of fluorene dendrimer with naphthalene termini in CHCl3. Addition of vitamin K4 enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the fluorene dendrimer. Especially, the G2 fluorene dendrimer was found to be an effective chemical sensor for vitamin K4 and better than the G1 fluorene dendrimer.