A chiroptical chemodosimeter for fast and specific detection of mercury(ii) ions in aqueous media

Abstract

A simple salicylamide derivative, N-(o-propargyloxybenzoyl)-L-phenylglycinol, was designed and synthesized as a reactive probe for the detection of mercury ions. The chemodosimeter not only shows a fast and specific CD response to Hg²⁺ ions in aqueous media but also has good compatibility with some potential organic species including cysteine and the oxidant N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS). The proposed chiroptical method may provide a useful alternative to chemosensors for detecting heavy-metal ions, which would cause luminescence quenching in chemosensor systems.