A novel methodology for the determination of Hg(II) ions was developed based on optical fiber chemical sensing in a microfluidic device containing a selective tripodal chromoionophore (i.e. tris[2-(4-phenyldiazenyl)phenylamino)ethoxy]cyclotriveratrylene/TPPECTV)-PVC film. Absorbance detection was performed by incorporating a single optical fiber on the top and the bottom of the detection zone of the microfluidic device. In this micro-sensing system, the intensity of the absorption maximum at 495nm of the TPPECTV–Hg(II) complex linearly increases as a function of the Hg(II) ion concentration in the range 1.0×10−6 to 2.5×10−4M, with a detection limit of 0.5μM. Interference from other heavy metal ions was not observed at significant levels. The absorbance results of the detection of Hg(II) ions in environmental water samples (river water) are in good agreement with those obtained by a macro-scale system (cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry/CVAAS).
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