Fluorine-boron compound-based fluorescent chemosensors for heavy metal ion detection

Heavy metal ions are among the most toxic pollutants, and they are responsible for many human diseases. Thus, developing advanced methods for their detection is crucial for the global public health. Fluorescent chemosensor has been proved to be one of the effective strategies that can be used for metal ion detection. In particular, those based on fluorine-boron (F-B) compounds have attracted considerable attention owing to their ease of synthesis, high sensitivity, and easy modifiability. In this review, the progress in the development of F-B compound-based fluorescent chemosensors for metal ion detection in the last few years is presented, which is mainly structured into two parts: the first part discusses the mechanisms by which analytes trigger a change in the fluorescence response, and the second part presents examples for the detection of metal ions such as Cu2+ and Hg2+ based on these mechanisms. Additionally, the detection of other metal ions is briefly discussed and our perspectives on the further investigation and optimization are also proposed. We believe that this comprehensive review will aid the design and development of advanced fluorescent chemosensors.

Automated summary

Heavy metal ions are toxic pollutants and detecting them is crucial for global public health. Fluorescent chemosensors based on fluorine-boron compounds have gained attention due to their ease of synthesis, high sensitivity, and modifiability. This review presents the progress in the development of these chemosensors for metal ion detection, discussing mechanisms and providing examples for the detection of specific metal ions, as well as briefly discussing other metal ions and proposing future directions.