The identification and quantification of heavy metal ions such as gold and mercury species in synthetic samples and living cells have crucial importance for scientific research. Even at very low concentrations, heavy metal ions can cause mortal consequences. Hence, there is a huge need for the development of new, sensitive, and selective methods to detect biologically active molecules, heavy metal ions, and anions that have significant effects on humans or animals. Up to now, trace metal analyses have been performed by classical spectroscopic methods such as atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. However, these methodologies require sophisticated devices and must be preceded by complicated sample preparation steps. In contrast to these time-consuming and expensive methods, fluorogenic and chromogenic methods that have high analyte sensitivity and selectivity and easy sample preparation steps and that use cheaper instrumentation have become important alternatives in recent years. There are many organic dye molecules that act as signaling units for fluorogenic-sensing strategies such as rhodamine derivatives, fluorescein, coumarin, and BODIPY. For this thesis, we chose the BODIPY core as a signal reporter unit because of such unique properties as long excitation/emission wavelengths, high molar absorption coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields, and wide pH range for the sensing event. Also, BODIPY dyes can be easily derivatized from their various positions so that they produce an important advantage over other florophore molecules. The main purpose of this thesis is to design and synthesize new BODIPY derivatives that bear highly selective and sensitive receptor units towards gold and mercury ions. In addition, to investigate the photophysical properties of designed molecules in the absence and presence of targeted metal ions in both synthetic samples and living cells.