A Discrete Cobalt Complex Obtained from a 1 D Coordination Polymer for Highly Selective Sensing of the Mercury(II) Ion

Abstract

Abstract A unique structural transformation in a 1 D chain coordination network 2 is converted to a discrete compound 3 accompanied by a change in the ion‐exchange system. Remarkably, 3 produced a turn‐on fluorescence and selective sensing for Hg 2+ , whereas other ions, such as K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cd 2+ , did not show any notable effects. Thus, the Hg 2+ ‐selective fluorescent chemosensor was free from interference by competing metal ions.