and, concurrently, it can bind Cd2+

and, concurrently, it can bind Cd2+ by the unpaired electrons of nitrogen.


This p-stacking interaction was monitored with
fluorescence spectroscopy. Free 1,10-phenanthroline is highly fluorescent
and gave a strong emission peak centered at 375 nm upon
the excitation at 260 nm (red curve in Fig. 2A)