Bis-ureidoquinoline as a Selective Fluoride Anion Sensor through Hydrogen-Bond Interactions

Bis-ureidoquinoline shows a characteristic UV–vis absorbance and turn-on fluorescence changes in the presence of the fluoride anion. Such selective changes probably originate from the hydrogen-bond interactions, as shown by the 1H NMR titration and DFT calculations. Bis-ureidoquinoline can be used as a fluoride-selective sensor for the detection of fluoride anions under illumination from a laboratory hand-held UV lamp.