A highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for Zn2+ based on diarylethene with a benzyl-linked 8-aminoquinoline-2-aminomethylpyridine unit

•A new diarylethene with a aminoquinoline-aminomethylpyridine unit was synthesized.•The diarylethene could act as a ratiometric chemosensor for the recognition of Zn2+.•A logic circuit was constructed on the bases of the unimolecular platform.

A highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent sensor for Zn2+ was constructed by using a new diarylethene with a benzyl-linked 8-aminoquinoline-2-aminomethylpyridine unit. Its fluorescence could be reversibly modulated by photoirradiation and metal ions. Stimulated by Zn2+, its emission peak was red-shifted from 421 nm to 515 nm and the emission intensity was enhanced by 7-fold with a concomitant fluorescence color change from dark to bright green. Especially, the diarylethene can effectively avoid interference of Cd2+. Consequently, the diarylethene could serve as a naked-eye fluorescence chemosensor for detection of Zn2+ with high selectivity. The binding stoichiometry between the diarylethene and Zn2+ was 1:1 and the detection limit was 6.6 × 10−8 mol L−1. In addition, a logic circuit was designed on the basis of the unimolecular platform by using the fluorescence intensity at 515 nm as an output and the combinational stimuli of UV/vis and Zn2+/EDTA as inputs.

Graphical abstractA highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for Zn2+ was constructed based on a new diarylethene with a benzyl-linked 8-aminoquinoline-2-aminomethylpyridine unit.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide