An aqueous fluorescent probe for Hg2+ detection with high selectivity and sensitivity

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

An aqueous fluorescent probe, 1, was developed for the rapid detection of Hg(2+) with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. Upon the addition of Hg(2+) in pure aqueous media, the Hg(2+)-mediated hydrolysis of vinyl ether and subsequent cyclization reactions converted probe 1 into the corresponding iminocoumarin dye, which is strongly fluorescent when excited. The application of this probe for the detection of intracellular Hg(2+) was successfully demonstrated in living cells.