A highly sensitive quinolimide-functionalized fluorescent sensor for Zn2+ with multifaceted applications

A new quinolimide derivative MSH was designed and developed as a highly sensitive Zn2+ fluorescent turn-on sensor in neutral aqueous media. After binding Zn2+ with a 2:1 stoichiometry, the excellent fluorescence enhancement (ΦZn(II) = 0.555) of MSH was observed, along with the low LOD of 8 nM, wide pH usage range (pH = 4–12), and fast response time of less than 15 s. The combinational logic gate and the memory device were constructed to take advantage of the emission of MSH controlled by Zn2+ and EDTA. Additionally, Zn2+ in actual water samples was detected with the satisfactory recovery rates between 96.6 % and 104 %. And MSH was successfully fabricated into paper strips and used as an imaging tool in yeast cells for tracking Zn2+ levels.