LAUSR

New methods are desired not only to quantitatively determine but also effectively remove mercury from environmental sources, because mercury is a highly hazardous and ubiquitous pollutant with bioaccumulative properties. Herein, we developed an ultrasensitive and highly selective ratiometric electrochemical probe for accurate determination and quick removal of mercury from water. Phenyl thiourea (PT) was designed as a specific recognition element for Hg2+, and detection was achieved by selective binding and reduction of Hg2+ on PT-functionalized electrode. Meanwhile, HS-DNA-MB (5′-MB-AGGAGGAGGAGGGAGGAGGG-SH-3′) was designed as an inner reference element, providing a built-in correction for quantitative determination of Hg2+. The present probe shows high sensitivity for Hg2+ detection in a broad dynamic range from 1 nM to 1.3 μM, with relatively low detection limit of 0.12 nM (0.024 ppb). This electrochemical probe was successfully applied for determination of Hg2+ in environmental water. More interestingly, it was also used to effectively remove Hg2+ from Huangpu River water within just 7 min without further separation.