4-Acetamidobenzaldehyde-Functionalized FeO@SiO Fluorescent Nanocomposite Probe for Detection of Hg in Aqueous Solution.

A new FeO@SiO fluorescent probe for detection of Hg in aqueous solutions was introduced based on a simple ligand. The prepared sample was characterized by using TEM, EDX, FT-IR, VSM, and TGA/DTA. The sensitivity of the probe toward Hg and its selectivity in presence of other cations were proven by using fluorescence spectroscopy. The detection limit of the prepared chemosensor is 8.1 nM. The magnetic property of the prepared nanocomposite enables its separation by an external magnet. The simple structure of the employed ligand results in simple preparation procedure and therefore could be an applicable material for detection of Hg in industrial, environmental, and biological samples.