A highly selective colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on chemosensor for Zn2+and its logic gate behavior

•A selective colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on chemosensor for Zn2+ was synthesized.•L exhibited a lower detection limit (5.2 × 10−7 M).•Binding mechanism for the response of L to Zn2+ was investigated in detail.•L was applicable to Zn2+ detection in real water samples.•L was designed to construct an INHIBIT molecular logic gate.

A novel quinoline-based fluorescent chemosensor L was synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS and X-ray Crystallography. L showed a significant fluorescent enhancement (120-fold) and color change upon the addition of Zn2+ attributed to the joint contribution of the PET and CHEF processes. The binding ratio of the L-Zn2+ complex was 1:1 confirmed by the 1 HNMR, mass-spectral analysis and Job plot, and the detection limit for Zn2+ was as low as 5.2 × 10−7 M. L was successfully applied to the determination of Zn2+ in real water samples. Moreover, the fluorescent signals of L were utilized to built an INHIBIT logic gate.

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