Functionalization of silver nanoparticles with mPEGylated luteolin for selective visual detection of Hg 2+ in water sample.

A novel colorimetric sensor based on mPEGylated luteolin-functionalized silver nanoparticles (mPEGylated luteolin-AgNPs) in an aqueous solution was prepared. The mPEGylated luteolin-AgNP solution was utilized to detect Hg 2+ with high sensitivity and selectivity in the presence of other metal cations including Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , Mn 2+ , Ba 2+ , Pb 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cd 2+ , Al 3+ and Cu 2+ . The solution could be induced to aggregate, and a color change from yellow-brown to colorless was observed in the presence of Hg 2+ . Meanwhile, the sensor was successfully used to detect Hg 2+ in tap water with satisfactory recovery ranges using the standard addition method.