A tetraester derivative of fluorescent calix[4]arene bearing a proton-ionizable moiety for highly sensitive extraction-fluorometric determination of sodium ion

In this study, we report the highly sensitive extraction-fluorometric detection system of Na⁺ using flow injection analysis with a tetraester derivative of fluorescent calix[4]arene. In liquid-liquid extraction experiments, the fluorescent intensity of calix[4]arene derivative 1 bearing a p-nitrophenol moiety was highly dependent on pH and the Na⁺ concentration in the aqueous phase. On the other hand, such phenomenon was not observed in the case of calix[4]arene derivative 2, which is almost the same structure as 1 except for a p-nitrophenol moiety. These results show that the proton dissociation of the p-nitrophenol moiety decisively affects the fluorescence intensity of 1. Owing to these fluorescence responsiveness, a calibration graph of the Na⁺ concentration could be successfully prepared using flow injection analysis with good linearity at the tens of nanomolar level. The tetraester scaffold of calix[4]arene was essential to the detection of Na⁺ in such a very low concentration range.