A ratiometric and selective fluorescent nanosensor for determining Hg²⁺ ions based on a novel functionalized metal–organic framework

Abstract

A new method using fluorescence was developed to detect Hg 2+ ions in water. This method relied on the reaction between NH 2 ‐MIL‐53(Al) and 5‐bromo‐2‐hydroxyacetophenone. The method was carefully fine‐tuned for optimal reaction conditions and analytical parameters like pH levels, nanosensor quantity, and detection limits. It showed great linearity in detecting Hg 2+ ions in the range of 0.0–3.0 ppm (0.0–1.50 × 10 −5 M), with a very low detection limit of 1.65 × 10 −2 ppm (8.23 × 10 −8 M). We tested how well the method can distinguish between different substances by investigating whether other common substances in water samples would interfere. The results were positive, as the presence of these substances did not significantly affect the accuracy of detecting Hg 2+ ions, confirming the method's reliability. In order to confirm its dependability, we conducted a quantitative test to detect Hg 2+ ions in water samples. The recovery rates obtained ranged from 97.16% to 103.2%, demonstrating the method's precision and accuracy. A comparison with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES), a well‐known method for analyzing trace metals, produced similar results, further instilling confidence in the 5Br2HA = N‐Al‐MOF nanosensor that was developed. In general, this research emphasizes the exciting potential of the new nanosensor in detecting Hg 2+ ions in various water and cosmetic samples. It provides a strong and dependable alternative to traditional detection methods.