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

With the aim of detecting Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution, a new fluorescent nanosensor (RhB-APTES-SiNPs) for the determination of Hg²⁺ has been successfully developed. This senor was synthesized by immobilizing RhB-APTES on the surface of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), which were prepared using the reverse microemulsion method. RhB-APTES-SiNPs can detect Hg²⁺ on-line, in real time and with the naked eye, thus providing "turn-on" fluorescence enhancement. The developed nanosensor exhibits highly sensitivity and selectivity over several cations in aqueous solution. Additionally, RhB-APTES-SiNPs exhibits an excellent ability to detect Hg²⁺ within a linear range from 1 to 6 µM, and its detection limit was calculated to be 0.5 ppb.