Pyrenyl-appended imidazolium receptor for selective fluorescence sensing of oxalic acid

A new fluorescent imidazolium-based cholestane receptor 4 bearing a pyrene moiety was synthesized. The binding ability of 4 toward various dicarboxylic acids was examined by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Receptor 4 showed the highest binding constant for oxalic acid among all the tested dicarboxylic acids (Ka = 5.06 × 104 M−1). Oxalic acid formed a complex with 4 with a 1:2 ratio in ethanol.