Few naturally occurring elements in their various forms have generated as much global concern as mercury.  Known for its deleterious effects on in utero child development among many other bodily functions, it is consistently ranked in the World Health Organization's top ten chemicals of global health concern.  Methyl mercury is the most toxic mercury compound known and derives from the oxidized form (Hg2+).  Conversely, it has long been known that the reduced form of mercury (Hg0) readily forms an amalgam with gold.  In these experiments sodium borohydride is used as a reducing agent in solution for both gold and mercury.  Gold nanorods (AuNRs) of known longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (SPR) are immobilized on a glass slide that is functionalized with 3-(mercaptopropyl)-trimethoxy-silane (MPTMS).  The SPR wavelength of the AuNRs substrate is monitored via UV-vis absorbance.  Reduced mercury within the sample forms an amalgam with the nanorods that changes the SPR to an extent that can be related to mercury concentration within the sample.  Limits of detection at the parts-per-billion concentration level are possible with milliliters of water sample. Based on the analytical figures of merit of the sensing substrate, pre-concentration methods are evaluated for the on-site analysis of Hg2+ in sea water samples.

Gold nanorods immobilized on a glass substrate for mercury detection in sea water samples

248th National Meeting (2014)

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