An aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe for highly sensitive and selective detection and imaging of Hg2+ in living cells

[Display omitted] •A novel fluorescence proe for Hg2+ was developed based on aggregation induced emission.•The probe exhibited a limit of detection of 22 nM and a fast response time.•The mechanism of the probe is based on the Hg2+ reaction induced solubility decrease, resulting in activated fluorescence due to aggregation induced emission.•The probe can be used for imaging of Hg2+ in live cells with fast response. Mercury ions (Hg2+), as one of heavy transition metals (HTM), is a highly toxic metal that is hazardous to human health. Here an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe is designed for the highly sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+. The probe is engineered with a tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivative as the fluorophore and thiopropionic acid as the site of recognition for Hg2+. Due to the different solubilities of the probe AIE-COOH and its corresponding product after reaction with Hg2+. The probe demonstrates a maximum detection limit of 22 nM and a fast response time of ∼100 s. Simultaneously, AIE-COOH exhibits outstanding detectivity and hypersensitivity for the detection of Hg2+ in aqueous solutions. These characteristics demonstrate that AIE-COOH hold a great potential in environmental, food and biological systems. Moreover, we have also successfully applied it to Hg2+ fluorescence imaging in in living cells.