Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Hg2+ ions and Antibacterial Activity Using a Schiff-base Derivative

A simple and highly effective Schiff-base fluorescent chemosensor (S1) was synthesized and characterized by 1HNMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. The synthesized chemosensor was applied for the selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+ ions. The chemosensor exhibited a strong 'turn-on' fluorescence response in a CH3OH/H2O (1:9, v/v) solution due to complex formation (S1-Hg2+) which block photo induce electron transfer (PET). The chemosensor showed significant sensitivity with very low detection limit of 2.0 ppb, making it suitable for trace-level Hg2+ detection. Furthermore, the S1-Hg2+ complex demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, broadening its utility beyond sensing. This dual-functional system offers significant potential in environmental and biomedical applications.