Abstract A new fluorescent probe, 3-((4-([2, 2′: 6′, 2 ″-terpyridin]-4′-yl) phenyl) ethynyl)- 7-methoxy-2H-chromen-2-one (ZC-F7) composed of coumarin as the fluorophore and terpyridine as the receptor is designed and synthesized. Based on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect, the probe exhibits significant variation on emission wavelengths with shifts more than 100 nm after combined with Zn 2+, in accordance with the conversion of ...