A new 9,9'-bianthracene-based thiosemicarbazone (D1) has been successfully synthesized and utilized for chemosensors. The properties of D1 were systematically investigated by UV-Vis, fluorescence titration and theoretical calculations. As a result, D1 exhibits a characteristic fluorescence quenching phenomenon in the presence of Hg or Ag compared to other metal cations (Na, K, Mg, Ba, Al, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, Co, Cd, Ni and Mn). The detection limits of Hg and Ag reach 6.62×10M and 1.99×10M, respectively. This is mainly attributed to the Hg (or Ag) forms a stable five-membered ring with the N atom in Schiff base CN and the S atom in thiourea. The results suggest that the probe D1 is a promising candidate for chemosensors in aqueous media due to its highly selectivity for Hg and Ag.