A Simple Colorimetric Probe for Sensitive Detection of Hg2+ Based on MnO2 Nanosheets and Monothioglycerol.

It is of great significance to develop efficient platforms for the detection of hypertoxic Hg2+. Colorimetric probes have received much attention for the detection of Hg2+ in the last decades. In this work, a colorimetric probe composed of MnO2 nanosheets and monothioglycerol (MTG) was rationally designed for Hg2+ detection, which was facially prepared via one‐step reaction at room temperature. The formation of Hg−S bond between Hg2+ and MTG inhibited the decomposition ability of MTG toward MnO2 nanosheets, thus resulting in a color change from colorless to brown. On this basis, the probe quantified Hg2+ in the concentration range from 2 to 60 μM with a low detection limit of 0.75 μM. The probe was applied to the detection of Hg2+ in tap water successfully, and was further fabricated into test strips for the convenience of use. Thereby, a simple and sensitive colorimetric probe for Hg2+ is developed in this work, which holds future promise for monitoring Hg2+ in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]