A simple pyrene-linked thiourea 1 has been synthesized and shown to act as a fluorescent and visual sensor for the detection of Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions. The sensor showed effective detection of Cu2+ and Hg2+ at a low detection limit. Receptor 1 has been successfully applied in the fluorescence imaging of Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions in living cells. Receptor 1 also selectively detects picric acid via both color change and fluorescence change.
