ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Fluorescent, colourimetric, and ratiometric probes based on diverse fluorophore motifs for mercuric(II) ion (Hg²⁺) sensing: highlights from 2011 to 2019

Stephen Opeyemi Aderinto

Department of Chemistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

E-mail: soaderinto1@sheffield.ac.uk

Received: 3 January 2020  Accepted: 28 April 2020

Abstract:

Though it has not been shown to deliver any biological importance, mercuric(II) ion (Hg²⁺) is a deleterious cation which poses grievous effects to the human body and/or the ecosystem, hence, the need for its sensitive and selective monitoring in both environmental and biological systems. Over the years, there has been a great deal of work in the use of fluorescent, colourimetric, and/or ratiometric probes for Hg²⁺ recognition. Essentially, the purpose of this review article is to give an overview of the advances made in the constructions of such probes based on the works reported in the period from 2011 to 2019. Discussion in this review work has been tailored to the kinds of fluorophore scaffolds used for the constructions of the probes reported. Selected examples of probes under each fluorophore subcategory were discussed with mentions of the typically determined parameters in an analytical sensing operation, including modulation in fluorescence intensity, optimal pH, detection limit, and association constant. The environmental and biological application ends of the probes were also touched where necessary. Important generalisations and conclusions were given at the end of the review. This review article highlights 196 references.

Keywords: Mercuric(II) ion (Hg²⁺), Fluorescent probes, Colourimetric probes, Ratiometric probes, Hg²⁺-selective probes, Sensing

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-020-01180-8

Chemical Papers 74 (10) 3195–3232 (2020)