An Ultrasensitive and Selective Probe for Ratiometric Determination and Removal of Hg2+

Abstract

New methods are desired not only to quantitatively determine but also effectively remove mercury from environmental sources, because mercury is a highly hazardous and ubiquitous pollutant with bioaccumulative properties. Herein, we developed an ultrasensitive and highly selective ratiometric electrochemical probe for accurate determination and quick removal of mercury from water. Phenyl thiourea (PT) was designed as a specific recognition element for Hg 2? , and detection was achieved by selective binding and reduction of Hg 2? on PT-functionalized electrode. Meanwhile, HS-DNA-MB (5 0 -MB-AGGAGGAGGAGGGAGGAGGG-SH-3 0 ) was designed as an inner reference element, providing a built-in correction for quantitative determination of Hg 2? . The present probe shows high sensitivity for Hg 2? detection in a broad dynamic range from 1 nM to 1.3 lM, with relatively low detection limit of 0.12 nM (0.024 ppb). This electrochemical probe was successfully applied for determination of Hg 2? in environmental water. More interestingly, it was also used to effectively remove Hg 2? from Huangpu River water within just 7 min without further separation.

Sequential speciation analysis of heavy metals on suspended particulate matter in water using electrochemical mass spectrometry

“…Heavy metal is a kind of typical pollutant in water that can cause serious health risks. [1][2][3] Suspended particulate matter (SPM) in water is an important carrier for heavy metals, 4 such as microplastics, 5,6 ferrihydrites, 7,8 etc. The metals on the SPM can exist in different species forms, such as water-soluble, organic, insoluble, and elemental forms.…”