The results of quantum-chemical and spectral researches of zinc((II)) complexes with alkylated dipyrrine and 3,3'-, 2,3'- and 2,2'-bis(dipyrrine)s in non-polar and polar solvents and their binary mixtures are presented. It was investigated the efficiency of the fluorescence quenching of fluorophores depending on of the solvation and structural contributions. Found that 3,3'-bis(dipyrrinato)zinc((II)) demonstrates the highest sensitivity of the fluorescence to the presence of the electron-donor component compared with the studied complexes. The obtained results allow to offer dipyrrine and bis(dipyrrine) zinc((II)) complexes as new, highly sensitive and selective fluorescent sensors of the N- and O-containing toxicants. Graphical Abstract Influence of solvation and structural contributions on fluorescence of dipyrrine dyes.
Keywords: Detection limit; Dipyrrine dyes; Fluorescence quenching; Frontier molecular orbitals; Spectral-luminescent properties; Zinc(II) complexes.