A ratiometric fluorescent sensor for zinc(II) with high selectivity

Spectroscopic studies revealed that the compound [N,N′-di(quinoline-2-methylene) -1,2-phenylenediimine] (1) exhibited a rather high selectivity toward Zn2+ over other metal ions, even Cd2+. In acetonitrile, the red shift of fluorescent emission from 396 nm to 426 nm upon zinc binding is due to the formation of a 1:1 metal/ligand complex.