An unusual highly emissive water-soluble iridium lissamine-alanine complex and its use in a molecular logic gate.

The interaction of iridium(iii) with a new lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl derivative, bearing alanine as a building block, (1) with an orange emission in water results in a green highly emissive Ir@1 complex at room temperature. The new Ir@1 complex can sense the toxic Hg(2+) metal ion and cysteine. Based on such properties, a new sophisticated molecular logic gate with three inputs was designed.