New dual colorimetric/fluorimetric probes for Hg2+ detection & extraction based on mesoporous SBA-16 nanoparticles containing porphyrin or rhodamine chromophores

Multifunctional luminescent nanomaterials based on mesoporous silica SBA-16 doped with a ring-opening rhodamine derivative (RhNHS) or with a cationic porphyrin bearing imidazolium substituents (Porph) were successfully obtained and characterized. The non-immobilized Porph leads to a selective colorimetric detection for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ in HEPES buffer at pH 7, producing colour changes from violet to pink, green and brown, detecting the...