In this research, we successfully synthesized and fully characterized the new compound 5,8,13,16,21,24-hex-(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl)-6,23-dihydro-6,7,14,15,22,23-hexaza-trianthrylene (HHATA, brown color in a mixed solvent of CH2Cl2/CH3CN 1:1, v/v, weakly blue fluorescent), which can be easily oxidized to 5,8,13,16,21,24-hex-(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl)-6,7,14,15,22,23-hexazatrianthrylene (HATA) (yellow color in CH2Cl2/CH3CN 1:1, v/v), red fluorescent) by Cu2+ ions. This reaction only proceeds efficiently in the presence of Cu2+ ions when compared with other common metal ions such as Fe3+, Co2+, Mn2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Ag+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Na+, and Li+. Our result suggests that this reaction can be developed as an effective method for the detection of Cu2+ ions. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.