Synthesis and photophysical studies of new fluorescent naphthalene chalcone

This study reports the base-catalyzed Aldol condensation route for synthesizing a new naphthalene chalcone derivative (C1). The molecular structure of C1 was ascertained by FTIR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Optical properties were explored through UV-Visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The UV-Vis spectrum indicated the presence of absorption bands from 300 to 350 nm due to π–π* transitions. In the solid state, C1 had a broad excitation that resulted in a solitary emission peak, whereas in solution, it emitted fluorescence at 495 nm. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to investigate the electronic configuration and optical properties further. These findings suggest that the synthesized compound may possess favorable properties in optoelectronic and sensing applications.