A highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for simultaneous determination of Ag(I), Hg(II), and Cu(II) ions

Abstract

Simultaneous determination of the heavy metal ions at the µg/L level in an aqueous solution has always been attractive to scientists. Here, we present a simple, rapid and highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for simultaneous determination of mercury, copper, and silver ions in an aqueous solution in the presence of various competitive metal ions, including Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Mg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺, Al³⁺, and Cr³⁺ ions. The detection limits of the sensor for Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ag⁺ ions are 2.8, 0.8, and 1.0µg/L, respectively. This sensor is potentially suitable for detecting and monitoring these metal ions in drinking water samples according to the regulations of the World Health Organization.