Fluorescence “Turn On” Chemosensors for Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ Based on Tetraphenylethylene Motif Featuring Adenine and Thymine Moieties

Abstract

Two new tetraphenylethylene (TPE) compounds 1 and 2 bearing adenine and thymine moieties, respectively, were found to be fluorescence "turn on" chemosensors for Ag(+) and Hg(2+) by making use of the AIE feature of TPE motif and the specific binding of adenine/thymine with Ag(+)/Hg(2+).