作者：Kun Huang, Yuting Liu, Qi Li, Bo Yu, Lijuan Liang, Dabin Qin

Abstract: To develop efficient tools for monitoring toxicant Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution attracts great attention because the abnormal distribution of Hg²⁺ in environment poses great threat to human health. We here report the preparation of a novel quinoline-rhodamine hybrid fluorescent probe P7RHg for ratiometricly sensing of Hg²⁺ in water, with a spirolactam-thiosemicarbazide reaction group. Upon treatment by Hg²⁺, the ratio of fluorescence intensity (F₆₀₀/F₄₆₀) exhibits nearly 90-fold enhancement, presenting two well-resolved emission peaks (140 nm). Meanwhile, the specific Hg²⁺-induced desulfurization provides probe P7RHg an excellent selectivity to Hg²⁺, with a detection limit of 8.6 nM. Moreover, the low cytotoxicity allows P7RHg to be employed for tracing Hg²⁺ in living cells by confocal fluorescence imaging.

Keywords: Rhodamine, Fluorescent probe, Ratiometricly sensing, Mercury ion

DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121651