Ultrasensitive diffraction gratings based on smart hydrogels for highly selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions

Han-Yu Peng; Wei Wang; Fuhua Gao; Shuo Lin; Lu-Yue Liu; Xing-Qun Pu; Zhuang Liu; Xiao-Jie Ju; Rui Xie; Liang-Yin Chu

doi:10.1039/C8TC02347F

Ultrasensitive diffraction gratings based on smart hydrogels for highly selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions†

Han-Yu Peng,^a Wei Wang,

*^ab Fuhua Gao,^c Shuo Lin,^a Lu-Yue Liu,^a Xing-Qun Pu,^a Zhuang Liu,^ab Xiao-Jie Ju,

^ab Rui Xie^ab and Liang-Yin Chu

*^ab

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* Corresponding authors

^a School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
E-mail: chuly@scu.edu.cn, wangwei512@scu.edu.cn

^b State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China

^c College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China

Abstract

An ultrasensitive grating system based on stimuli-responsive hydrogels with ultra-low detection limit for highly-selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions is developed. The excellent detection performance of trace heavy metal ions is demonstrated by using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-benzo-18-crown-6-acrylamide) hydrogel gratings with well-designed molecular structures for detecting trace Pb²⁺ in water. The hydrogel grating with nanometer-sized height synergistically combines the fast thermo-responsive volume phase transition of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) backbones and the highly-selective Pb²⁺ recognition of benzo-18-crown-6 moieties to achieve enhanced Pb²⁺-induced swelling changes for detecting trace Pb²⁺. By integrating the hydrogel grating into a simple optical detection system, the signal of trace Pb²⁺ can be efficiently converted and amplified into optical intensity signals for ultrasensitive, highly-selective and rapid detection of Pb²⁺ with concentration as low as 10⁻⁹ M. This hydrogel grating system provides an efficient strategy for ultrasensitive detection of trace heavy metal ions for protection of the environment and human health.

$Graphical abstract: Ultrasensitive diffraction gratings based on smart hydrogels for highly selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions$

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Ultrasensitive diffraction gratings based on smart hydrogels for highly selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions†

Abstract

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Ultrasensitive diffraction gratings based on smart hydrogels for highly selective and rapid detection of trace heavy metal ions

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