A tetraphenylethene based polarity dependent turn-on fluorescence strategy for selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+ in aqueous medium and in living cells

A turn-on fluorescent chemosensor strategy based on the change in the polarity of aggregation induced emission active tetraphenylethene is presented for the detection of Hg2+ in aqueous medium and in living cells. The sensing mechanism involves the formation of nonpolar fluorescent aggregates of tetraphenylethene molecules by elimination of polar moieties of TPE with Hg2+ interaction.