Detection of Zn(II) by Tetraphenylethyene Fluorescent Probe Based on Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE)-Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) Effect

A aggregation induced effect (AIE) Zn2+ fluorescence probe with tetrastyrene as the fluorescent group and orthovanillin as the recognition group was designed and synthesized. The structure of the probe was characterized by H-1 NMR, MS and single-crystal X ray diffraction. The fluorescence spectra showed that the probe has good selectivity and sensitivity to Zn2+, and its fluorescence enhances with the increase of concentration of Zn2+. Through job plot and single crystal structure characterization, it was found that the probe has a 2:1 binding mode with Zn2+, and the detection limit is 56.2 nmol center dot L-1. The detection mechanism was attributed to the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and AIE effect. The new AIE probe can be used as a convenient tool for the analysis and determination of Zn2+.