A functionalized gold nanoparticles and Rhodamine 6G based fluorescent sensor for high sensitive and selective detection of mercury(II) in environmental water samples

Abstract A gold-nanoparticles (Au NPs)–Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) based fluorescent sensor for detecting Hg (II) in aqueous solution has been developed. Water-soluble and monodisperse gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has been prepared facilely and further modified with thioglycolic acid (TGA). Free Rh6G dye was strongly fluorescent in bulk solution. The sensor system composing of Rh6G and Au NPs fluoresce weakly as result of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and collision. The fluorescence of Rh6G and Au NPs based sensor was gradually recovered due to Rh6G units departed from the surface of functionalized Au NPs in the presence of Hg(II). Based on the modulation of fluorescence quenching efficiency of Rh6G–Au NPs by Hg(II) at pH 9.0 of teraborate buffer solution, a simple, rapid, reliable and specific turn-on fluorescent assay for Hg(II) was proposed. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity of sensor is proportional to the concentration of Hg(II). The calibration graphs are linear over the range of 5.0 × 10 −10 to 3.55 × 10 −8  mol L −1 , and the corresponding limit of detection (LOD) is low as 6.0 × 10 −11  mol L −1 . The relative standard deviation of 10 replicate measurements is 1.5% for 2.0 × 10 −9  mol L −1 Hg(II). In comparison with conventional fluorimetric methods for detection of mercury ion, the present nanosensor endowed with higher sensitivity and selectivity for Hg(II) in aqueous solution. Mercury(II) of real environmental water samples was determined by our proposed method with satisfactory results that were obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).