A new class of pyrene based multifunctional chemosensors for differential sensing of metals in different media: Selective recognition of Zn2+ in organic and Fe3+ in aqueous medium

•To best of our knowledge this is the first report for the sensing of Fe3+ using ONPs of pyrene based Biginelli compounds.•Simple synthetic route involving single step multicomponent synthesis.•Efficient sensors (ONPs) for detection of Fe3+ and Zn2+.•Real time analysis of all the sensors on different samples collected from analytical lab, organic lab, tap water, drain water and digested soil samples indicates the effectiveness of the sensors for the detection of Fe3+.

Pyrene based Bigineilli compounds 1–4 were synthesized through one pot, multicomponent organic synthesis and were assessed for their metal binding ability under both organic medium and through forming their ONPs (aqueous medium). Sensors 3 and 4 selectively bind Zn2+ in acetonitrile through quenching in fluorescence intensity of excimer peak at 470 nm and amplifying monomer peak (which consist of two shoulder peaks at 380 nm and 395 nm). ONPs of 3 and 4 in aqueous medium displayed AIEE (aggregation induced enhanced emission) phenomenon through enhancement in fluorescence intensity. Furthermore, ONPs of 3 and 4 sense Fe3+ by quenching fluorescence intensity of both monomer and excimer emission peak. Sensing event of Fe3+ by organic nanoparticles of 3 and 4 was authenticated with CV profile of 3 and 4 with Fe3+.

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