Flavonol based ruthenium acetylides as fluorescent chemosensors for lead ions

Flavonol based alkynyl ruthenium complexes devoted to the detection of metal traces in solution are described. The sensitivity of both absorption and emission properties of the 3-hydroxyflavone unit as a receptor for the metal cations, and of an alkynyl ruthenium moiety as an extended π-conjugated system, provides an efficient molecular sensor for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of lead(II) cations.