Condensation Product of Phenylalanine and Salicylaldehyde: Fluorescent Sensor for Zn(2.).

The condensation product of phenylalanine and salicylaldehyde (L) was synthesised and characterised which was found to be selective fluorescent "off-on" sensor for Zn(2+) ion with the detection limit 10(-5) M. The sensor is free of interferences from metal ions - Na(+), K(+), Al(3+), Mn(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Cd(2+) and Hg(2+). The Fluorescence and the UV/visible spectral data reveals a 1:1 interaction between the sensor and Zn(2+) ion with binding constant 10(8). The DFT and TDDFT calculations confirm the structures of the sensor and the sensor-Zn(2+) complex.