A novel “turn-on” dipyrrin-type fluorescent detector of Zn 2+ based on tetraphenylethene

A tetraphenylethene-containing dipyrrin (TPEpy) has been synthesized and its photophysical properties and metal detecting properties have been investigated. TPEpy displays a high selectivity and sensitivity with a detection limit of 8.96 × 10−8 M for Zn2+ in aqueous media.