A sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for visual and wearable mercury (II) recognition in river prawn and water samples.

A novel ratiometric fluorescent probe p-RPT was prepared with triphenylamine and a rhodamine derivative. The probe displays high sensitivity and selectivity for Hg, which was applied in real water sample detection and biologic cell imaging. Hydrogel-coated paper sensors were fabricated with p-RPT, which displayed fluorescent colour change upon Hg ion contact with a detection limit of 1.2 × 10 M (∼10 ppb). In addition, flexible fluorescent p-RPT gloves were developed for visible and wearable Hg detection and applied to detect mercury (II) in river prawn samples. In summary, the p-RPT probe not only shows great potential in mercury (II) detection for food and water, but also provides a new perspective for wearable sensing apparatus.