Abstract
A fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensor L based on rhodamine 6G was designed, synthesized, and characterized. Based on a two-step reaction, the chemosensor L effectively recognized Hg2+. The interaction between the chemosensor and Hg2+ was confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and frontier molecular orbital calculations. The chemosensor L was also incorporated into test strips and silica gel plates, which demonstrated good selectivity and high sensitivity for Hg2+.
Highlights
Hg2+ is known to be very dangerous to human health because of its extreme toxicity (Chen et al, 2012)
The other cations did not result in the same spectral changes as Hg2+
The fluorescence intensity at 550 nm increased strongly when the ratio exceeded 1, and a new absorption peak at 526 nm appeared. These results are unusual in comparison to previously reported chemosensors for Hg2+ (Figures 3, 4)
Summary
Hg2+ is known to be very dangerous to human health because of its extreme toxicity (Chen et al, 2012). Many reported Hg2+ chemosensors were designed in one of two ways based on one-step reactions. In the first type of sensor, the interactions between a ligand and Hg2+ results in changes in fluorescence (Figure 1A). In the second type of sensor, special chemical reactions (e.g., desulfurization between the ligands and Hg2+) generate a new product with a different fluorescence spectrum (Figure 1B).
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