Re‐Evaluation of the Applicability of Terpyridine as a Highly Selective Aqueous Colorimetric Sensor for Mercury

In a more than 100-times cited article published in Chem. Eur. J. in 2008 (reference [4]), 2,2´:6´2´´-terpyridine (tpy) has been reported to be a "highly selective colorimetric aqueous sensor for mercury." Verification of this message reveals that the key data and claims reported in the article [4] do not agree with reality. In aqueous DMSO, the reaction of Hg^II compounds with tpy does not produce the pink species [Hg(tpy)₂]²⁺, but white (colorless) products with