title: Visual detection of Hg2+ with high selectivity using thymine modified gold nanoparticles.
abstract: Here, we describe a colorimetric sensor for detecting Hg(2+) in aqueous media, which is simply constructed by the self-assembly of thymine acetamidoethanethiol (T-SH) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Based on the specific interaction of Hg(2+) with two thymines (T), the T-SH modified AuNPs can be induced to aggregate through the formation of a stable T-Hg-T complex in the presence of Hg(2+), resulting in a color change from red to blue-gray. As low as 0.5 µM of Hg(2+) can be easily monitored by the naked eye using this sensor. Other metal ions, including Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Co(2+), Mn(2+), Ba(2+), Fe(2+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Al(3+), and Fe(3+), could not cause any response, even at concentrations 100-fold higher than Hg(2+). The high selectivity, high stability and easy operation enable this sensor suitable for the rapid on-site detection of Hg(2+) pollution.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bing
authors.forename: Canliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Dihua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shangguan
mesh_terms: D003124:Colorimetry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013941:Thymine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006046:Gold; D008628:Mercury; D013941:Thymine