Scientific Reports (Jun 2017)

Luminescent turn-on detection of Hg(II) via the quenching of an iridium(III) complex by Hg(II)-mediated silver nanoparticles

  • Jinshui Liu,
  • Kasipandi Vellaisamy,
  • Guanjun Yang,
  • Chung-Hang Leung,
  • Dik-Lung Ma

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03952-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Abstract A novel luminescent turn-on detection method for Hg(II) was developed. The method was based on the silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-mediated quenching of Ir(III) complex 1. The addition of Hg(II) ions causes the luminescence of complex 1 to be recovered due to the oxidation of AgNPs by Hg(II) ions to form Ag(I) and Ag/Hg amalgam. The luminescence intensity of 1 increased in accord with an increased Hg(II) concentration ranging from 0 nM to 180 nM, with the detection limit of 5 nM. This approach offers an innovative method for the quantification of Hg(II).