Hg²⁺ Probes Based On Rhodamine Direvatives

Mercury is a highly toxic element and its contamination is widespread and occurs through a variety of nature and anthropogenic source. Once introduce into the marine environment, bacteria will convert inorganic mercury into methylmercury, which enters the food chain and accumulates in higher organisms. The EPA standard for the maximum allowable level of inorganic Hg(II) in drinking water is 2ppb, to achieve this standard, the development of new or improved analytical methods for the sensitive and selective determination of Hg²⁺ is highly desirable. Because of high quantum yield of rhodamine , more and more scientists use it as ideal Hg²⁺ sensor. Under the summarization of former works, we designed a series of Hg²⁺ sensor based on rhodamine derivatives, and tested their effects.We made a synthesis of Hg²⁺ sensor based on rhodamine derivatives, and confirmed its structure. We also tested its effects against Hg²⁺, and made sure that it had considerably sensitivity and selectivity towards Hg²⁺.We used the sulfur preference characteristic of mercury to improve the synthesis of Hg²⁺ sensor, we got a new Hg²⁺ sensor. After the test of its effect, we found that it could make the criteria of 2ppb in water. So it is an ideal Hg²⁺ sensor.We induced push or pull electron compounds into optimized Hg²⁺ sensor, and we found that push electron compounds improved the effect of Hg²⁺ sensing. So we can use push electron compounds to make advanced Hg²⁺ sensor.We put the Hg²⁺ sensor into molecular sieve MCM-48 in order to make a new material. Under the test of the new material against Hg²⁺, we made sure the new material can be used to absorb Hg²⁺ in water. It made a new theory to make chemosensor into new materials.