A novel fluorescence sensor for mercury ions based on Hg2+ triggered desulfurated conversion has been designed and synthesized. The sensor shows high sensitivity to Hg2+ with about 40-fold increase in fluorescence intensity and high selectivity over a wide range of common cations in CH3CNH2O (7/3, v/v) buffered with 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-pip-perazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) (pH=7.4, 0.02 M). An obvious green fluorescence can be observed by naked eyes upon addition of Hg2+ under a UV lamp, thus it provides an easy and efficient way to detect Hg2+.

Si-HMS were synthesized and characterized by XRD and N2 adsorption isotherm. Perylene derivative has been incorporated into its channels by impregnation method. And the resulting composite was characterized by absorption, fluorescence emission and fluorescence lifetime methods. The results indicated that perylene molecules in HMS presented spectra with broad bands, loss of vibrational structure, red shift of maxima and elongated lifetime.