Highly sensitive and selective chemosensor for Hg2+ based on the rhodamine fluorophore

Area of Science:

• Chemical Sensing
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Development of selective chemosensors is crucial for detecting specific metal ions.
• Rhodamine derivatives are widely used in fluorescent chemosensors due to their favorable photophysical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel tren-based tripodal chemosensor.
• To investigate the sensing behavior of the synthesized chemosensor towards various metal ions.
• To establish a selective fluorescent chemosensor for mercury ions (Hg2+).

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a novel tren-based tripodal chemosensor incorporating rhodamine and tosyl groups.
• Investigation of metal ion sensing using UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies.
• Analysis of spectral and visual changes upon addition of different metal ions.

Main Results:

• The synthesized chemosensor exhibited a visual color change and significantly enhanced fluorescence upon addition of Hg2+ ions.
• The chemosensor demonstrated high selectivity for Hg2+ over a range of other metal ions (e.g., Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+).
• The observed changes indicate an OFF-ON sensing mechanism for Hg2+.

Conclusions:

• A novel rhodamine-based tripodal chemosensor has been successfully synthesized.
• The chemosensor displays high selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg2+ ions.
• This development offers a promising tool for the selective detection of mercury in analytical applications.