As a highly toxic heavy metal ion, mercury ion (Hg2+) pollution has caused serious harm to the environment and human health. In this paper, 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPY) was selected as the sensing material and decorated on the surface of a gold electrode. Trace Hg2+ could be detected by both differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The proposed sensor displayed a wide detection range from 0.01 μg/L to 500 μg/L with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.002 μg/L by EIS measurements. Combined with molecular simulations and electrochemical analyses, the chelating mechanism between Hg2+ and 4-MPY was explored. Through the analysis of binding energy (BE) values and stability constants, 4-MPY showed an excellent selectivity for Hg2+. In the presence of Hg2+, the coordination of Hg2+ with the pyridine nitrogen of 4-MPY was generated at the sensing region, which caused a change in the electrochemical activity of the electrode surface. Due to the strong specific binding capability, the proposed sensor featured excellent selectivity and an anti-interference capability. Furthermore, the practicality of the sensor for Hg2+ detection was validated with the samples of tap water and pond water, which demonstrated its potential application for on-site environmental detection.
Keywords: 4-mercaptopyridine; binding energy; electrochemical sensor; mercury detection; molecular simulation.