Recent advances in polymeric chemosensors for the detection and removal of mercury ions in complex aqueous media

Abstract

Polymeric chemosensors have gained a considerable amount of interest for toxic metal ion tracing and removal owing to their numerous advantages, including high water solubility, remarkable structural stability, high sensitivity, good selectivity, simple processability, quantitative separation capability, sensing tunability, and applicability in real-time device fabrication. Mercury (Hg), a heavy metal ion, is hazardous to humans and aquatic life when present in excess of permissible levels. The incorporation of a limited number of suitable Hg (II)-specific binding units into a sensing polymer backbone’s side/main chain can provide good signaling output and separation capability. This review summarizes studies on recent advances in various polymeric chemosensors and their applications in Hg(II) sensing and separation published between 2011 and 2021. The limitations and challenges of the current systems are outlined, along with the future prospects for various research directions in this area.