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Highly Selective and Reversible Optical, Colorimetric, and Electrochemical Detection of Mercury( II ) by Amphiphilic Ruthenium Complexes Anchored onto Mesoporous Oxide Films
Author(s) -
Nazeeruddin M. K.,
Di Censo D.,
HumphryBaker R.,
Grätzel M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200500309
Subject(s) - ruthenium , aqueous solution , materials science , mercury (programming language) , electrochemistry , detection limit , inorganic chemistry , phosphorescence , mesoporous material , photochemistry , chemistry , fluorescence , organic chemistry , electrode , chromatography , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language , catalysis
The colorimetric, fluorimetric, and electrochemical detection of mercury ions by functionalized ruthenium sensitizers in aqueous and non‐aqueous solutions and on anchored TiO 2 films are investigated. Mercury ions coordinate reversibly to the ruthenium sensitizers, inducing a color change and increasing the phosphorescence intensity significantly. The electrochemical data of the adsorbed sensitizer on TiO 2 films show a reversible couple, owing to the percolation through electronic couplings between –NCS ligands of neighboring molecules; upon exposure to a Hg 2+ ‐containing solution, the electrical signal is appreciably reduced. The detection limit for mercury( II ) ions using UV‐vis spectroscopy in homogeneous aqueous solutions is estimated to be ∼ 20 ppb. The results presented herein have important implications in the development of reversible colorimetric, fluorimetric, and electrochemical on–off sensors based on nanocrystalline semiconductor films for the simple, swift, and selective detection of mercury ions in solution.