Recent advancements in organic chemosensors for the detection of Pb2+: a review

Lead (Pb) is an abundant heavy metal with various applications in the modern and industrialized world, like its utilization in pigments, gasoline, batteries, etc. Their pollution is a severe threat and persisting problems to the living organisms, especially to human health. Chronic exposure to lead causes various health problems like cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, reproductive diseases, and hypertension, even at very low levels. Keeping in view the above-mentioned health risk associated with lead poisoning, it is of prime importance to detect and determine it in various environmental and biological specimens. Various protocols are available for detecting and determining Pb2+ ions, including the most powerful, sensitive and convenient colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensors tool. In this paper, we discussed recent advancements in the development of colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensors such as pyridine, Schiff bases, thiourea, porphyrin, pyrene, thiophene, imidazophenazine, perylene tetracarboxylic, quinoline, phenanthroline, phenazine and polydiacetylene for the detection of Pb2+, explained their chemosensing design, characteristics application and their sensing modes for recognition of Pb2+ ions. We hope this review article will help the researchers to design highly selective, sensitive and efficient fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensors for Pb2+ ion detection.