Use of nano-aggregates of a tripodal receptor for fluorometric sensing of Hg2+ ions in aqueous medium

Abstract

A tripodal receptor (1) has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. Re-precipitation method was used to prepare nano-aggregates of 1 (N1) in aqueous medium. These nano-aggregates (N1) were studied for their sensing properties using fluorescence spectroscopy and results showed that nano-aggregates of 1 (N1) can selectively recognize Hg2+ in aqueous medium in presence of other metal ions with enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Hg2+ in the range 0-25 μM with a detection limit of 6.4 μM. Competitive binding test proved that the sensor is selective only for mercury and the properties of sensor are not affected by the presence of other metal ions. Effect of salt and pH is also studied and it showed that salt and pH do not affect the sensor activity.