Visible Near-Infrared Chemosensor for Mercury Ion

A visible near-infrared chemosensor (MCy-1) for mercury ions was successfully devised and characterized. A large red-shift (122 nm) of the absorption maximum of MCy-1 was observed. An important feature for the new chemosensor is its high selectivity towards mercury ions over the other competitive species, making the "naked-eye" detection of mercury ions possible.