NOT‐INHIBIT Reversible Logic Gate Behavior of g‐C3N4‐Hg2+‐Complexed Nanoparticles

Abstract

AbstractThe g‐C3N4‐Hg2+ complexed nanoparticles with two fluorescence emission (at 368 and 450 nm) have been synthesized and characterized with scanning electron microscope, transmittance electron microscope, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet‐ visible spectrophotometer and X‐ray diffraction methods. A decrease in the XRD peak intensity of g‐C3N4‐Hg2+ at 13.4° suggested that Hg2+ ions might be trapped into the in‐plane heptazine holes. Computational studies of g‐C3N4‐Hg2+ nanoparticles confirmed large binding energies for in‐plan‐Hg2+ structures and suggested that the fluorescence quenching (at 368 nm) is caused by the complexation of nanoparticles with Hg2+ ions. Due to the strong affinity between Hg2+ and CN− confirmed by computational studies, the quenched fluorescence emission at 368 nm “OFF” can be completely returned “ON” in the presence of CN− and then efficiently quenched by the addition of Hg2+. The OFF‐ON‐OFF fluorescence cycles have been exploited to design an “INHIBIT” logic gate using Hg2+ and CN− ions. In addition, the second emission peak (at 450 nm) was quenched by Cr2O72− and was not affected by other ions (Hg2+ and CN−) indicating a “NOT” (inverter) logic gate.