A pyrene-induced PET-based chemosensor for biologically important Zn(ii) ions: application in test strips and live cell imaging studies

Abstract

Cation and anion sensing is vital owing to their universal dispersion in ecosystems and biological functions. It has been shown that fluorescent receptors based on organic platforms are efficient for detecting a number of ions and have many advantages such as low cost, superior sensitivity and simplicity in installation. This study demonstrates the design and synthesis of a novel receptor (E)-3-[(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino]-2-(pyren-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one (DTQ) for the rapid recognition of Zn(II) ions. DTQ exhibited a significant fluorometric “turn-on” characteristic towards Zn(II) at λ_max 444 nm in aqueous acetonitrile by inhibiting the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) and –CN– process. The ESI-MS analysis and Job's plot experimental results confirmed stoichiometric 1 : 1 complex formation between DTQ and Zn(II). Fluorometric investigations revealed the detection limit and association constant of DTQ towards Zn(II), which were found to be 13.4 nM and 1.47 × 10⁵ M⁻¹, respectively. DTQ was employed to sense Zn(II) on low-cost test strips. The present research findings imply that DTQ can function as an effective sensor for Zn(II).