Acyl thiourea derivatives: Versatile tools for chemosensing and heavy metal remediation

Abstract

The increasing environmental pollution, particularly from heavy metals and hazardous anions, poses a significant threat to global health and ecosystems. The unique structural features of these compounds, including multiple coordination sites, enhanced electron density, favorable steric effects, and stabilized metal-ligand complexes, enable their effective application in both chemosensing and heavy metal remediation. As chemosensors, acyl thiourea derivatives exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity in detecting various cations, anions, and neutral species, making them valuable tools for in situ environmental analysis. Additionally, their ability to efficiently adsorb heavy metals like Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, U⁴⁺, Pb²⁺, Pt⁴⁺, and Pd²⁺, along with the removal of Cl⁻ from acidic wastewater, demonstrates their practical significance in combating heavy metal pollution. This study highlights the innovative use of acyl thiourea derivatives as versatile tools for addressing the critical issue of environmental pollution, contributing to the advancement of environmental science and technology by offering effective methods for the detection and remediation of environmental pollutants using acyl thioureas.