A new 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazole (NBD) based colorimetric and fluorescence chemosensor for Zn2+, an ion involved in many biological processes, was designed and synthesized. The NBD-probe 1 displays a red-to-yellow color change and an enhancement of fluorescent intensity in the presence of an aqueous solution of Zn2+ ions (pH 7.2). Internal charge transfer (ICT) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms are ...