Three new hydrazone, based on azo-isonicotinohydrazide derivatives, have been designed, synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The new compounds were designed to act as selective molecular sensors for naked-eye detection of acetate anion. To study the effect of the substituent at certain position in the main structure on the selectivity of the sensor, the compounds were designed to have −CH 3 , −H or −NO 2 at that position. Solutions of different anions (F − , H 2 PO 4 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , Cl − , HSO 4 − , ΗCO3 − ) and AcO − were used to test the selectivity. The results revealed that the compound with electron withdrawing group (NO 2 ) interacts selectively with acetate producing a significant feasible color change which makes it considered as selective molecular sensor for naked-eye detection of acetate. The dissociation constant for AcO − with the new sensor was also determined.