Advances for the colorimetric detection of Hg2+ in aqueous solution

Abstract

Exposure to mercury ions, even at very low levels, is known to cause a wide variety of diseases in the brain, kidney, and central nervous system, which is an increasing serious problem for human beings and the environment. Accordingly, great efforts have been devoted to the development of colorimetric sensors, which can selectively and conveniently detect Hg²⁺. In this feature article, to present the readers a better understanding of the specific methods and their mechanisms, we will highlight colorimetric sensors according to their receptors into several categories, including organic dye-based sensors, complex based sensors, polymer based sensors, and nanoparticles based sensors, which are mentioned in the literature and our own work during the recent years.