•A series of quinoline derivatives containing pyrazole group were synthesized and characterized.•The UV–vis spectra and fluorescent spectra of various as-synthesized products were measured.•The effect of acetic acid and triethylamine on the spectroscopic properties of as-synthesized products was examined.Two series of quinoline derivatives containing pyrazole group were synthesized and characterized by means of 1H NMR, FT-IR, MS, elemental analysis and X-ray single crystal diffraction, and their UV–vis absorption behavior and fluorescence properties were also measured. Moreover, the effects of acetic acid and triethylamine on the spectroscopic properties of synthesized products were examined with compounds 3a and 5a as examples. It has been found that all synthesized quinoline derivatives show maximum absorption peak at 303 nm and emission peaks around 445 nm. Besides, both acetic acid and triethylamine can change the acidity of the medium, thereby influencing the UV–vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra of synthesized products. Moreover, theoretical investigations indicate that the integration of H+ and N atom of quinoline ring favors the formation of a new product in the presence of acetic acid, and the product obtained in this case shows a new UV–vis absorption peak at 400 nm.