A new rhodamine appended tripodal receptor 1 has been designed and synthesized. The receptor selectively recognizes Hg²⁺ ions in CH₃CN–water (4 : 1, v/v; 10 μM tris HCl buffer, pH 7.0) by displaying a ratiometric change in emission. Additionally, the visual detection is possible by a sharp change in color. The receptor shows in vitro detection of Hg²⁺ ions in human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells.