A Pyrene Derivative for Hg2+-Selective Fluorescent Sensing and Its Application in In Vivo Imaging

An Hg2+‐selective fluorescent sensor (1) bearing pyrene as a fluorophore was synthesized. A sandwich‐stacking binding mode was formed during the binding process, which increased the excimer fluorescence 22‐fold at 490 nm. Compound 1 was successfully applied in in vivo imaging to trace the enrichment and distribution of mercury in the nervous system, digestive system, and reproductive system of Caenorhabditis elegans, as well as the organs of zebrafish. A bright sandwich: An Hg2+‐selective fluorescent sensor (1) bearing pyrene as a fluorophore was synthesized. A sandwich‐stacking binding mode was formed during the binding process, which increased the excimer fluorescence 22‐fold at 490 nm (see figure). Compound 1 was successfully applied in in vivo imaging to trace the enrichment and distribution of mercury in Caenorhabditis elegans.