Work

Sulfhydryl-functionalized anisotropic photonic crystal hydrogels for visual Hg2+ detection and adsorption in cinnabar mine water area

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Emissions of mercury ions from human activities during mining and smelting processes cannot be overlooked due to their potential for environmental pollution. Consequently, developing a material that offers both visual detection capability and efficient adsorption for Hg 2+ is crucial. Inspired by cephalopod skin, we have prepared a sulfhydryl-functionalized anisotropic photonic crystal hydrogel (PDGI/PAAm-SH). The bilayer structure of polydodecyl glyceryl itaconate (PDGI) is immobilized and stabilized within the sulfhydryl-functionalized polyacrylamide network after polymerization. The porous structure of hydrogel facilitates the adsorption of Hg 2+ in solution, resulting in a blue shift in structural color, which allows for visual detection. The PDGI/PAAm-SH effectively adsorbs and removes Hg 2+ from water, with an impressive uptake capacity of 129.06 mmol kg −1 . Additionally, this hydrogel exhibits good reproducibility, excellent mechanical properties, and remarkable selectivity for Hg 2+ . It can shield interference from other ions during detection and shows promising applications in environmental monitoring and purification.

Source: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.137689

Authors: Yang Qiu, Jiaxin Yang, Jun Zhou, Zhaoyang Wu

Institutions: Hunan University, State Key Laboratory of Chemobiosensing and Chemometrics

Language: English

Topic: Photonic Crystals and Applications

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,470