A Zn2+-specific turn-on fluorescent probe for ratiometric sensing of pyrophosphate in both water and blood serumElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, characterization of 1(1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI-MS), binding behaviors of 1and 1-Zn2+(fluorescent titrations, UV titrations, Job's plots, ESI-MS and 31P NMR), fluorescent titrations of 1-Zn2+in blood serum. See DOI: 10.1039/c0dt01262a

A novel fluorescent sensor composed of a naphthalene functionalized tetraazamacrocycle ligand 3,6,9,15-tetraazabicyclo[9.3.1]pentadeca-1(15),11,13-triene-3-methyl naphthalene (1) and Zn2+has been designed and prepared, which can be utilized for selective and ratiometric sensing of pyrophosphate (PPi) over other phosphate-containing anions in aqueous solution at physiological pH. Notably, the water soluble 1itself also exhibits a selective enhanced fluorescent response to Zn2+, and the complex 1-Zn2+thus formed eventually fulfils the synergic Zn2+coordination-altered strategy with PPi. Furthermore, the ratiometric sensing of 1-Zn2+towards PPi performed well even in blood serum milieu. Finally, the sensor 1-Zn2+was successfully employed to monitor a real-time assay of inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) by means of ratiometric fluorescent measurements for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]