Amino-1,8-naphthalimides are a sought-after class of materials due to their optoelectronic properties. This work demonstrates the application of CuO/CaO for a chemoselective synthesis of amino-1,8-naphthalimide fluorophores from the corresponding nitro-analogues with 100% conversion and selectivity. The reaction was completed in 10 min in isopropyl alcohol using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent at 80 °C. The material was characterized using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and adsorption techniques. The product, 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides, was characterized by using NMR (1H and 13C), LCMS, and photophysical properties were measured in DCM at 298 K. © 2022 The Author(s)