Nanocatalyst/Nanoplasmon‐Enabled Detection of Organic Mercury: A One‐Minute Visual Test

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 58; no. 30; pp. 10285 - 10289
• Main Authors: Donati, Paolo, Moglianetti, Mauro, Veronesi, Marina, Prato, Mirko, Tatulli, Giuseppina, Bandiera, Tiziano, Pompa, Pier Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 22.07.2019
• Subjects: colorimetry; methylmercury; nanosensor; point-of-care testing; colorimetry; methylmercury; point-of-care testing; nanosensor
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201905669

We present a fast and sensitive nanosensor that can detect organic mercury, exploiting the combination of the catalytic and plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The method is one‐step and completely instrument‐free, and has a colorimetric readout clearly detectable by simple visual inspection. The AuNPs catalyze efficient organic mercury reduction to the metallic form (Hg0), allowing its nucleation and amalgam formation on particle surface, with consequent aggregation‐induced plasmon shift. This leads to very rapid (1 min) and specific colorimetric detection of mercury species. The achieved limit of detection (20 ppb) is compliant with current regulatory limits in food. An ultrafast (1 min) and sensitive (20 ppb LOD) colorimetric nanosensor for organic mercury is presented, based on the combined use of the catalytic and plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles. The method works in one step, is completely instrument‐free, and has ambient conditions operation with clear visual readout.