Fluorine-boron compound-based fluorescent chemosensors for heavy metal ion detection

Heavy metal ions are among the most toxic pollutants, and they are responsible for many human diseases. Thus, developing advanced methods for their detection is crucial for the global public health. Fluorescent chemosensor has been proved to be one of the effective strategies that can be used for metal ion detection. In particular, those based on fluorine-boron (F–B) compounds have attracted considerable attention owing to their ease of synthesis, high sensitivity, and easy modifiability. In this review, the progress in the development of F–B compound-based fluorescent chemosensors for metal ion detection in the last few years is presented, which is mainly structured into two parts: the first part discusses the mechanisms by which analytes trigger a change in the fluorescence response, and the second part presents examples for the detection of metal ions such as Cu 2+ and Hg 2+ based on these mechanisms. Additionally, the detection of other metal ions is briefly discussed and our perspectives on the further investigation and optimization are also proposed. We believe that this comprehensive review will aid the design and development of advanced fluorescent chemosensors. • Elucidated mechanisms governing metal ions detection by fluorescent chemosensors. • Compared the molecular structure characteristics of various mechanisms. • Reviewed the Cu 2+ , Hg 2+ and other metal ions detection strategies based on F–B compounds. • Identified future research needs of fluorescent chemosensors on metal ions detection.