An imidazole-based fluorescent probe for the Mercury(II) Ion with rapid response in vitro

On account of the significant hazardous impact of Hg2+ on the environment and ecosystem, there is a great demand for developing Hg2+ probes with high sensitivity and selectivity. A new imidazole-based Hg2+ probe has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The probe can detect mercury(II) through an ion-specific coordination mechanism. Significant fluorescence enhancement is observed in acetonitrile solutions that contain Hg2+ in the presence and absence of other metal ions. The probe can react instantaneously with Hg2+ (<5 s) and exhibit significant color changes from yellow to colorless with a limit of detection of 0.30 μM. Paper test strip and HeLa cell experiments demonstrate that the probe has outstanding utility for detecting Hg2+ in biochemical systems and the environment.