A Fluorescent Sensor Synthesized Using Silica Nanoparticles for Detecting Hg²⁺ in Aqueous Solution

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mercury ions (Hg²⁺) pose significant environmental and health risks.
• Accurate detection of Hg²⁺ in aqueous solutions is crucial for environmental monitoring.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity, selectivity, or real-time capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescent nanosensor for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺.
• To enable on-line, real-time, and naked-eye detection of Hg²⁺ in aqueous solutions.
• To characterize the performance of the developed nanosensor for Hg²⁺ determination.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) using the reverse microemulsion method.
• Immobilization of RhB-APTES onto the surface of SiNPs to create the RhB-APTES-SiNPs nanosensor.
• Evaluation of the nanosensor's fluorescence response to Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution, including selectivity and linear detection range.

Main Results:

• The developed RhB-APTES-SiNPs nanosensor demonstrated a
• turn-on
• fluorescence enhancement upon interaction with Hg²⁺.
• The nanosensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for Hg²⁺ over other common cations.
• A linear detection range of 1 to 6 µM for Hg²⁺ was established, with a low detection limit of 0.5 ppb.

Conclusions:

• The RhB-APTES-SiNPs nanosensor is a promising tool for the rapid and reliable detection of Hg²⁺ in aqueous environments.
• The developed sensor offers advantages in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and real-time monitoring capabilities.
• This work contributes to the advancement of environmental sensing technologies for heavy metal ion detection.