Dyes That Bear Thiazolylazo Groups as Chromogenic Chemosensors for Metal Cations

A family of dyes (L 1-L 6) that contain a thiazolylazo group as signalling subunit and several macrocyclic cavities with different ring sizes and type and number of heteroatoms as binding sites has been synthesized and characterized. Solutions of L 1-L 6 in acetonitrile show broad and structureless absorption bands in the 554-577 nm range with typicalmolar absorption coefficients that range from 20000 to 32000 M -1 cm -1. A detailed protonation study was carried out with solutions of L 1, L 2 and L 5 in acetonitrile. Addition of one equivalent of protons to L 1 and L 2 resulted in the development of a new band at 425 and 370 nm, respectively, which was ascribed to protonation in the aniline…