Two fluorescent ligands,
N-(2-(5-cyanopyridyl))cyclen (L5) and
N-(2-pyridyl)cyclen (L6) (cyclen= 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane), were designed and synthesized to control twisted intramolecular chargetransfer (TICT) by metal chelation in aqueous solution. By complexation with Zn
2+, L6 exhibited TICTemissions at 430 nm (excitation at 270 nm) in 10 mM HEPES (pH 7.0) with
I = 0.1 (NaNO
3) at 25
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C dueto the perpendicular conformation of a pyridine ring with respect to a dialkylamino group, which was fixedby Zn
2+-N(pyridine) coordination, as proven by potentiometric pH, UV, and fluorescence titrations andX-ray crystal structure analysis. We further describe that the 1:1 complexation of ZnL6 with guests such assuccinimide, phosphates, thiolates, and dicarboxylates, which compete with a nitrogen in the pyridine ringfor Zn
2+ in ZnL6, induces considerable emission shift from TICT emissions (at 430 nm) to locally excitedemissions (at ca. 350 nm) in neutral aqueous solution at 25
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C.