Recyclable Supramolecular Assembly‐Induced Emission System for Selective Detection and Efficient Removal of Mercury(II)

Abstract An efficient strategy for simultaneously detecting and removing Hg 2+ from water is vital to address mercury pollution. Herein a supramolecular assembly G ⊂ H with photoluminescent properties is facilely constructed through the self‐assembly of a functional pillar[5]arene bearing two N,N ‐dimethyldithiocarbamoyl binding sites ( H ) and an AIE‐active tetraphenylethene derivative ( G ). Remarkably, the fluorescence of G ⊂ H can be exclusively quenched by Hg 2+ among the 30 cations due to the formation of non‐luminous ground state complex and only L‐cysteine can restore fluorescence in the common 20 amino acids. Meanwhile, the probe G ⊂ H has a considerable thermal and pH stability, a good anti‐interference property from various cations, and a satisfactory sensitivity. More importantly, G ⊂ H exhibits a prominent capability of Hg 2+ removal with rapid capture rate (within 1 h) and excellent adsorption efficiency (98 %), as well as a highly efficient recyclability without losing any adsorption activity.