Ivy extract-assisted photochemical vapor generation for sensitive determination of mercury by atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Making use of the natural plant extract as assistant matrix or photocatalyst provides an efficient strategy to break the limitation of traditional photochemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry in efficiency, sensitivity, and biocompatibility. In this work, ivy extract-assisted photochemical vapor generation was proposed for the determination of trace mercury in natural water by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The influencing factors such as irradiation time, irradiation wavelength and concentration of extract were systematically studied. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the limit of detection for total mercury was 0.03 ng mL(-1) which is better than the ethanol- assisted photochemical vapor generation system. This method is green and sensitive, reduces the biological toxicity of photocatalytic materials and secondary pollution in the reduction process, and provides experimental basis for expanding the photochemical vapor generation system.