Hybrid films composed of ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose and silica xerogel functionalized with a fluorogenic chemosensor for the detection of mercury in water

Ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose (EHEC) and a silica–based xerogel (SBX) were functionalized with a (18–crown–6)–styrylpyridine precursor (1) to obtain the modified polymers EHEC–1 and SBX–1, respectively. Films were obtained and the resulting materials were used as fluorogenic devices for the detection of Hg2+ in water. The films produced from EHEC–1 showed high water retention, making it difficult to apply as a reusable optical chemosensor. Since SBXs are recognized in the literature for their hydrophobicity, a hybrid film composed of EHEC and SBX–1 which did not show water retention was produced and characterized. This system showed rapid response time, outstanding selectivity compared to several other studied metal ions, and sensitivity for the detection of Hg2+ in water. The detection limit for this material using fluorescence technique was 2 ppb (∼10−8 mol L−1). The reversibility of the complex formed between EHEC-SBX–1 film and Hg2+ was demonstrated by the addition of cysteine to the medium. The result obtained also allowed the assembly of INHIBIT and IMPLICATION molecular logic gates, using Hg2+ and cysteine as inputs. The results described in this article have important significance in the development of novel reversible fluorogenic chemosensors and adsorbent materials for the effective removal of Hg2+ ions.