A fluorescent probe for detection of Hg 2+ ions constructed by tetramethyl cucurbit[6]uril and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene.

In this paper, tetramethyl cucurbit[6]uril (TMeQ[6]) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene (G) were used to construct a supramolecular fluorescent probe G@TMeQ[6]. The host-guest interaction between TMeQ[6] and G was investigated using 1 H NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and various experimental techniques. The results show that TMeQ[6] and G form an inclusion complex with a host-guest ratio of 1:1 and the equilibrium association constant ( K a ) was 2.494 × 10 4 M -1 . The G@TMeQ[6] fluorescent probe can sensitively recognize Hg 2+ ions by fluorescence enhancement. The linear range is 0.33 × 10 -5 -1.65 × 10 -5 mol·L -1 , R 2 = 0.9926, and the limit of detection is 4.12 × 10 -8 mol·L -1 . The fluorescent probe can be used to detect the concentration of Hg 2+ ions in aqueous solution, and provides a theoretical basis for the development of new fluorescent probes for detecting heavy metal ions.