SBA-Pr-CQC-CA synthesis as a highly selective Hg2+ ions chemosensor

Detection of toxic and hazardous metal ions with high atomic weights, particularly mercury (II), in aquatic and biological environments is of great value. Chemosensors are preferred tools for detecting and quantifying the amount of Hg2+ ions. SBA-15 silica with mesoporous structure is a superb foundation for developing fluorescent sensors. This study designed a SBA-15-based chemosensor with acceptable selectivity by synthesizing SBA-15 as mesoporous silica. It was then modified with 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane to obtain SBA-Pr-Cl, followed by modification with 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde to produce SBA-Pr-CQC, and finally with 4-chloroaniline to obtain SBA-Pr-CQC-CA. The resulting material, SBA-Pr-CQC-CA, was analyzed using various techniques, revealing that the porous compound remained intact after the post-grafting process. This chemosensor could detect Hg2+ ions without interference from other ions. A comparative study confirmed an acceptable detection limit for the SBA-Pr-CQC-CA chemosensor compared to other corresponding chemosensors. Fluorescence studies revealed that the SBA-Pr-CQC-CA chemosensor exhibited a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.2 x 10(-7) M for sensing Hg2+ ions.