A Simple Fluorescent Chemosensor for Detection of Zinc Ions in Some Real Samples and Intracellular Imaging in Living Cells

A new designed fluorescent chemosensor TYMN ((E)-1-((thiazol-2-ylimino)methyl)naphthalen-2-ol) for highly sensitive and selective tracing of trace amount of Zn2+ ions in some real samples was synthesized and characterized. The sensor TYMN can detect Zn2+ ions via fluorescence enhancement with a high selectivity over a wide range of metal ions, especially Cd2+. The sensor showed large fluorescence enhancement upon complexation with Zn2+ and simultaneous color change from yellow to orange. The limit of detection was analyzed to be 0.0311 μM with a linear dynamic range 0.1-1.0 μM. The sensor could work in a pH span of 5.0-8.0. Based on the physicochemical and analytical methods like electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass, Job plot, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and theoretical calculations, the detection mechanism for Zn2+ was explained based on restriction of internal charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. TYMN sensor was potentially utilized for Zn2+ ions concentration evaluation in some real samples. Fluorescence microscopy experiments revealed that probe TYMN may have application as a fluorophore to detect the Zn2+ in living cells.