Hg²⁺ sensing in aqueous solutions: an intramolecular charge transfer emission quenching fluorescent chemosensors

Compounds 4a and 4b, comprising an anthracene moiety as the fluorophore and a pair of dithiocarbamate functionalities as ligating groups, were designed as fluorescent chemosensors for Hg(II). In aqueous solvent systems, upon excitation, in addition to the normal emission bands of locally excited (LE) state of anthracene, both compounds show a prominent pH-independent intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emissive band, which can be modulated by Hg²⁺ binding. The systems can be exploited to develop a fluorescent sensitive probe for Hg²⁺.