Fluorescent 2-carbonyl carbazole ketones: photophysical properties, molecular structure and selective detection of Fe3+ ion

Owing to the diverse implication of carbazole scaffolds in medicinal chemistry, photoelectronic materials and chromophores, the molecules containing the carbazole motif have attracted significant attention over the years. In this work, the vibronic contributions to carbazole structures could facilely change the solvatochromic effect, absorption wavelength, emission wavelength, and Stokes shifts of six 2-carbonyl carbazole ketones fluorophores. Among them, the structure of 1-(1-methyl-9H-carbazol-2-yl)ethanone (3a) were confirmed from single crystal XRD studies. The ratiometric detection of Fe(III) ion of 2-carbonyl carbazole ketone 3a were investigated. Furthermore, it was speculated that chemosensor 3a toward the recognition of Fe3+ cation was dependent on its rigid structure and good coplanarity of the conjugated system, strong intramolecular charge-transfer of 3a.