A new isoindoline-based highly selective "turn-on" fluorescent chemodosimeter for detection of mercury ion.

A new isoindoline-based highly efficient turn-on fluorescent chemodosimeter S with a thioamide functionality as a binding site for selective detection of Hg ion has been developed. The chemodosimeter S showed an extreme selectivity for detection of Hg ion among various two and three-valent metal ions in acetonitrile/water (70/30, v/v). It was found that, in the presence of Hg ion the non-fluorescent chemodosimeter S was efficiently and rapidly desulfurized to the corresponding highly fluorescent amide 1. A good linear relationship was shown between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of Hg within the range of 0-1μM, with a detection limit of 2.03×10M.