Accurate and rapid mercury susceptibility detection in aquatic samples using fluorescent probe integrated rhodamine with pyridyl isothiocyanate.

Mercury, one of the various harmful metals, is particularly significant in affecting aquatic organisms, currently gaining more attentions and sparking discussions. In response to the limitations of traditional detections, fluorescent probes have emerged as a promising solution with some advantages, such as weaker background interference, shorter processing time, higher accuracy. Thus, a novel fluorescent probe, FS-Hg-1, has been developed for assessing mercury ion (Hg ²⁺ ) concentrations in aquatic products. This probe displays specific recognition of mercury ions in fluorescence spectra. Notably, FS-Hg-1 exhibits a distinct color change to pink when combined with Hg ²⁺ (with a 948-fold increase in absorption at 568 nm) and a substantial fluorescence change towards Hg ²⁺ (361-fold increase, excitation at 562 nm, emission at 594 nm) in N, N-dimethylformamide. The probe boasts a detection limit of 0.14 μM and rapid reaction with Hg ²⁺ within 10 s, showing an excellent linear correlation with [Hg ²⁺ ] in the range of 0 to 10 μM. Through thorough analysis using FS-Hg-1, the results align with those from the standard method (P > 0.05), with spiked recovery rates ranging from 108.4% to 113.2%. With its precise recognition, low detection limit, and remarkable sensitivity, this fluorescent assay proves effective in mercury concentration determination in aquatic samples without interference. The potential of FS-Hg-1 is promising for speedy detection of residual Hg ²⁺ and holds significance in ensuring food safety.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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