Functionalization of silver nanoparticles with mPEGylated luteolin for selective visual detection of Hg²⁺ in water...

A novel colorimetric sensor based on mPEGylated luteolin-functionalized silver nanoparticles (mPEGylated luteolin-AgNPs) in an aqueous solution was prepared. The mPEGylated luteolin-AgNP solution was utilized to detect Hg²⁺ with high sensitivity and selectivity in the presence of other metal cations including Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ba²⁺, Pb²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cd²⁺, Al³⁺ and Cu²⁺. The solution could be induced to aggregate, and a color change from yellow-brown to colorless was observed in the presence of Hg²⁺. Meanwhile, the sensor was successfully used to detect Hg²⁺ in tap water with satisfactory recovery ranges using the standard addition method.