Development of dihydropyrimidine based chemosensor for Hg2+ ions

[Display omitted] •(1) Ag nanoparticles were prepared.•Dihydropyrimidine derivatives were prepared using AgNPs as activator.•Dihydropyrimidine derivatives were characterized.•Dihydropyrimidine derivatives were applied for chemosensor.•Spectrofluoremetry tool was used for studying sensing of Hg+2. The detection and monitoring of heavy metal ions in water media is critical due to their toxic effects on human health and the environment. In this study, we propose a green approach for synthesizing a dihydropyrimidine-based ligand by utilizing the concept of the Biginelli reaction and incorporating Ag nanoparticles as activators. This synthesized ligand demonstrates exceptional potential as a chemosensor for detecting poisonous Hg2+ ions using a simple spectrofluorometer tool. The ligand exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg2+ over other transition metal ions in aqueous solution. This innovative method aligns with green chemistry principles, emphasizing the importance of using a straightforward and efficient sensing method of fluorescence. This is the first report where a dihydropyrimidine-based moiety detects toxic heavy metal ions, Hg+2(minimum detection level is 5X10−7 M).