Fluorescent determination of zinc by a quinoline-based chemosensor in aqueous media and zebrafish.

A quinoline-based fluorescence sensor QDTD was developed for Zn2+. QDTD can detect Zn2+ by fluorescence turn-on. Detecting limit (0.27 μM) of QDTD for Zn2+ was far below WHO standard (76.0 μM). For the practical application, compound QDTD could be used to determine Zn2+ in real samples and applied to the test kit. More importantly, QDTD was expertly applied for Zn2+ imaging in HeLa cells and zebrafish with good membrane-permeability. Detection mechanism of Zn2+ ion by compound QDTD was suggested through the analytical tools like 1H NMR titration, ESI-MS, Job plot, fluorescent and UV–vis titration, and theoretical calculations, and through the synthesis and applications of a model compound AAQA. Unlabelled Image • A highly selective fluorescent chemosensor QDTD for Zn2+ was designed and synthesized. • QDTD could detect Zn2+ by fluorescence turn-on with the low detection limit (0.27 μM). • Sensor QDTD was applied to the real water samples and test strip. • Sensor QDTD could successfully quantify Zn2+ in HeLa cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]