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• A novel Phenolphthalein based probe has been synthesized. • It has been used to detect trace amount of Zn2+ and Al3+ ions in water. • Turn-on emission property of the probe is utilized to fabricate molecular INHIBIT logic gate. • It also displays the novel AIE phenomenon. A phenolphthalein based fluorescent probe, 3, 3-Bis-[4-hydroxy-3-(pyridine-2-yliminomethyl)-phenyl]-3H-isobenzofu ran-1-one (PHPA), has been synthesized. It exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity towards Zn2+ and Al3+over other relevant water soluble metal ions and also display novel aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics. Both complexes followed 2:1 metal to ligand stoichiometry calculated from Job's plot. A significant fluorescence enhancement with a turn-on ratio of ∼94-fold was triggered via chelation-enhanced fluorescence through sensor complex (Zn2+-PHPA) and∼245-fold increase for sensor complex Al3+-PHPA. In addition, the binding sites of both sensor complexes (PHPA-Zn2+ & PHPA-Al3+) have been confirmed through 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR and ESI-MS spectroscopy. The detection limits is found to be 8.5 × 10−8 M for complex PHPA-Zn2+ and 1.88 × 10−7 M for complex PHPA-Al3+, respectively. The reversible detection of Zn2+ and Al3+ complexes in methanol are also ascertained in the presence of Na 2 EDTA, enabling the construction of a molecular Logic gate. An advanced-level NOT-AND-OR logic gate has been constructed from a different chemical combinational input and emission output. Human serum albumin (HSA) binding studies were performed by various spectroscopic methods to expound possible bioactivity of PHPA. Interestingly; the AIEE properties of PHPA may advance its impact as studied in methanol-water mixtures with high water contents. To gain the knowledge into the AIEE mechanism of the PHPA, the size and growth process of particles in different volume percentage of water and methanol mixture were studied using time-resolved photoluminescence, dynamic light scattering, and optical microscopic image. The probe PHPA has also been used to detect intracellular Zn2+ ion in A549 cells. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multianalyte selective fluorescent probe derived from rhodamine and phenolphthalein is synthesized. • It showed highly selective and sensitive response towards Cu2+, Fe3+ colorimetrically and Al3+, Cr3+ fluorimetrically. • Detection limits for Cu2+, Fe3+, Al3+ and Cr3+ are 1.21 µM, 1.75 µM, 2.27 µM, and 1.29 µM, respectively. • Test paper strips of the probe were prepared for rapid and selective detection for four analytes. • It is also used as a bio-imaging fluorescent probe against A549 cancer cell line. In this study, a novel rhodamine-phenolphthalein derivative (RBPF) was designed, synthesized, and characterized. RBPF exhibited the selective and sensitive colorimetric detection of Cu2+ and Fe3+ and fluorometric detection of Al3+ and Cr3+, thus functioning as a multiple-channel probe in MeOH-H 2 O (v/v = 9/1, 5 µM HEPES, pH 7.2) in the presence of other cations. A strong enhancement of the absorbance at around 555 nm was observed for the four mentioned cations. In contrast, in the presence of Al3+ and Cr3+, emissions were intensified within the red region of the spectra (583 and 586 nm, respectively). The RBPF sensor was found to bind to the metal ions at a 1:2 stoichiometric ratio. The proposed mechanism for the observed sensing behavior is the opening of the spirolactam ring of the rhodamine core in the presence of the four mentioned metal ions. The detection limits for Cu2+, Fe3+, Al3+, and Cr3+ were calculated to be 1.21 µM, 1.75 µM, 2.27 µM, and 1.29 µM, respectively. To test the practical use of the probe, TLC-based paper strips were fabricated. In addition, cell-imaging analysis of Al3+ and Cr3+ ions in the A549 cancer cell line produced promising concentration and time-dependent detection results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]