Graphene oxide sheet-modified zinc complexes named Zn-PMA/GOSs have been synthesized based on the non-covalent interactions of Zn-PMA and graphene oxide sheets (GOSs) via an in situ reaction. Then, the as-synthesized products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Zn-PMA/GOSs not only show strong luminescence intensity and better thermal stability than pure zinc complexes but also have good dispersibility in aqueous solutions, and they are further used as fluorescence probes for detecting Fe3+. They show relative selectivity and high sensitivity to Fe3+ (Stern-Volmer constant KSV = 4 × 106 L mol-1), suggesting that Zn-PMA/GOSs can be a promising luminescent probe for selectively sensing Fe3+ ions. Moreover, the possible mechanisms of ion-selective detection are also discussed.