A hemicyanine-based selective and sensitive colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on probe for Cu2+

A hemicyanine-based colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on probe 2 was designed and synthesized. The probe displayed a rapid response time, high sensitivity and high selectivity for Cu2+ over other metal ions. Moreover, the probe can detect Cu2+ in the presence of 15 species of metal ions by absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and naked-eye in aqueous media.