A novel red-emitting fluorescent probe TBTS for the highly selective detection of mercury (Hg²⁺) ion has been developed, which was constructed with triphenylamine-benzothiadiazole skeleton. Probe TBTS was barely emissive in HEPES buffer solution (pH = 7.4, 10 mM, with 3% DMSO). As the presence of Hg²⁺ ion, the dithioacetal unit in probe TBTS was hydrolyzed to be aldehyde group, consequently resulting in the intense red emission via aggregation-induced emission (AIE) mechanism. This sensing behaviour was completed within 2.5 min, and the detection limit toward Hg²⁺ ion was calculated to be 90 nM. More importantly, probe TBTS exhibited the excellent biocompatibility, and it was capable of monitoring Hg²⁺ ion in living cells.

开发了一种新型的发红光荧光探针TBTS，用于高选择性检测汞（Hg ²⁺）离子，该探针由三苯胺-苯并噻二唑骨架构成。探针TBTS在HEPES缓冲溶液（pH = 7.4，10 mM，含3％DMSO）中几乎不发光。由于存在Hg ²⁺离子，探针TBTS中的二硫缩醛单元被水解为醛基，因此通过聚集诱导发射（AIE）机制导致强烈的红色发射。该感测行为在2.5分钟内完成，对Hg ²⁺离子的检测极限经计算为90 nM。更重要的是，探查TBTS表现出优异的生物相容性，并且能够监测活细胞中的Hg ²⁺离子。