Recent Advances in Fluorometric Detection of Carcinogenic Heavy Metal Ions Using Fluorogenic Chemosensors: An Overview

In recent years, a significant focus has been directed toward fluorogenic chemosensors for the optical detection of heavy metal ions due to their detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. Methods combining fluorometry and colorimetry have been widely utilized for sensing heavy metal ions because they are straightforward, lucrative, easy to use, and enable rapid on-site analysis. As a result, numerous research groups have dedicated extensive efforts to developing versatile fluorometric and colorimetric sensors for heavy metals. The development of innovative, highly selective, and sensitive chromogenic fluorosensors, along with their detection capabilities, remains a captivating area within supramolecular chemistry. This review outlines key aspects of the detection process, including spectroscopic changes, selectivity, sensitivity, visible colour shifts, and potential <i>in vivo</i> recognition of heavy metal ions. It also emphasizes recent progress over the past decade in the fluorometric and colorimetric detection of heavy metal cations, such as Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, As³⁺/As⁵⁺, and Pb²⁺, using chromogenic and fluorogenic chemical receptors.