Equilibrium plasmonic mercury sensing apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A mercury detection system, comprising:
- (a) a flow cell comprising a mercury sensor, wherein the mercury sensor comprises;
(i) a transparent substrate; and
(ii) a mercury-sensitive film on a surface region of the substrate, wherein the mercury-sensitive film comprises a plurality of gold-mercury amalgam nanoparticles;
(b) a light source configured for directing light through the transparent substrate to the mercury-sensitive film;
(c) a light detector configured for detecting a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal from the mercury-sensitive film; and
(d) a temperature-control unit for maintaining the mercury-sensitive film at a substantially constant selected temperature;
wherein the system determines whether mercury is present in a sample based on a LSPR signal detected from the mercury-sensitive film.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for quantitative detection of mercury vapor in gas samples using a film of nanoparticles. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of an amalgam nanoparticle is sensitive to adsorbed mercury mass. The equilibrium mass of mercury on a gold nanoparticle is a function of the surrounding vapor concentration and the temperature of the gold. A device that introduces a temperature-controlled gold nanoparticle film to a controlled flow of sample gas responds predictably to a given mercury vapor concentration when optically probed in situ. Controlling the temperature of the film allows for control of adsorption and desorption rates. Equilibrium plasmonic mercury detection, described herein, removes the cycling necessary for many gold-based mercury analyses. Methods are given for the operation and analysis of the temperature-stabilized gold nanoparticle mercury sensor. The disclosed mercury-detection apparatus and methods find use in a variety of applications, including, for example, mercury detecting applications.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A mercury detection system, comprising:
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(a) a flow cell comprising a mercury sensor, wherein the mercury sensor comprises; (i) a transparent substrate; and (ii) a mercury-sensitive film on a surface region of the substrate, wherein the mercury-sensitive film comprises a plurality of gold-mercury amalgam nanoparticles; (b) a light source configured for directing light through the transparent substrate to the mercury-sensitive film; (c) a light detector configured for detecting a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal from the mercury-sensitive film; and (d) a temperature-control unit for maintaining the mercury-sensitive film at a substantially constant selected temperature; wherein the system determines whether mercury is present in a sample based on a LSPR signal detected from the mercury-sensitive film. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for determining whether mercury is present in a gaseous sample, the method comprising:
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(a) contacting a sample to a mercury sensor comprising; (i) a transparent substrate; and (ii) a mercury-sensitive film on a surface region of the substrate, wherein the mercury-sensitive film comprises a plurality of gold-mercury amalgam nanoparticles; (b) maintaining the mercury-sensitive film at a substantially constant selected temperature; (c) while performing step (b); (i) directing light through the transparent substrate to the mercury-sensitive film, and (ii) detecting a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal from the mercury-sensitive film; and (d) determining whether mercury is present in the sample based on a LSPR signal detected from the mercury-sensitive film. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification