Triplex-signal chemosensor for naked eye and spectrometric lead detection

Environmental lead exposure is one of the most significant public health threats worldwide. Consequently, reliable, quick, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle lead assays are urgently needed. Scientists have now presented a novel chemosensor for lead in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. It offers a triplex signal upon binding of lead ions: a significant change in the solution color that enables naked-eye detection, and a ratio change in two absorption/fluorescence bands that allows for sensitive spectrometric lead analysis.