Tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine substituted at its periphery with eight antioxidant 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl groups behaves as a turn-on fluorescent sensor for fluoride anions. Conversely, the precursor antioxidant-substituted 1,2-phthalonitrile was found to act in turn-off mode suggesting that the origin of the phenomenon lies at the phenolate-substituted 1,4-pyrazinyl moiety. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.