Zinc plays a key role in many physiological processes and has implications for the environment. Consequently, detection of chelatable zinc ion (Zn²⁺) has attracted widespread interest from the research community. Lanthanide‐based luminescent probes offer particular advantages, such as high water solubility, long luminescence lifetimes and a large Stokes’ shift, over common organic dye‐based fluorescent sensors. Here, we report the synthesis of terbium and europium complex‐based probes, Tb‐1 and Eu‐1, for sensitive and selective detection of Zn²⁺ in water. These probes featured the incorporation of bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)]amine (DPA) receptor for Zn²⁺ chelation and the 1,4,7‐tris(carboxymethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane (DO3A) ring to chelate lanthanide (Ln³⁺). Tb‐1 and Eu‐1 displayed high selectivity for Zn²⁺ ions over a wide range of competing ions, with limits of detection of 0.50 ± 0.1 μM and 1.5 ± 0.01 μM, respectively. Density functional theory simulations were in good agreement with experimental observations, displaying high Zn²⁺ selectivity compared with most competing ions. In the competing ions experiments, the luminescence response of Tb‐1 and Eu‐1 was moderately quenched by some ions such as Cu²⁺, this was linked to the comparable binding abilities of these ions for the receptor of the probe.

中文翻译：

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设计和合成两种基于ter和euro配合物的新型发光探针，用于选择性检测锌离子。

锌在许多生理过程中起着关键作用，对环境具有影响。因此，可螯合的锌离子（Zn ²⁺）的检测引起了研究界的广泛兴趣。与普通的基于有机染料的荧光传感器相比，基于镧系元素的发光探针具有特殊的优势，例如高水溶性，长发光寿命和较大的斯托克斯位移。在这里，我们报告了基于sensitive和euro配合物的探针Tb-1和Eu-1的合成，用于灵敏和选择性地检测水中的Zn ²⁺。这些探针的特点是掺入了Zn ²⁺的双（2-吡啶基甲基）]胺（DPA）受体螯合和1,4,7-三（羧甲基）-1,4,7,10-四氮杂环十二烷（DO3A）环螯合镧系元素（Ln ³⁺）。Tb-1和Eu-1对多种竞争离子具有较高的Zn ²⁺离子选择性，检出限分别为0.50±0.1μM和1.5±0.01μM。密度泛函理论模拟与实验观察结果非常吻合，与大多数竞争离子相比，Zn ²⁺具有较高的选择性。在竞争离子实验中，Tb-1和Eu-1的发光响应被某些离子（例如Cu ²⁺，这与这些离子对探针受体的可比结合能力有关。