A pocket-size device for monitoring gaseous elemental mercury by passive sampling on a Nano-Au screen-printed electrode and detection by single drop smartphone-controlled voltammetry

We report a novel strategy for decentralized monitoring of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), Hg(0), in ambient air by pocket-size low-cost analytical device. The essential components the system are gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (AuNPs-SPCE) passive or active sampling amalgamation from and miniaturized potentiostat (pen drive size). was connected to smartphone determination amount amalgamated Hg(0) during sampling, voltammetry on single 50 µL drop placed onto AuNPs-SPCE. method greatly benefits nano structuration electrode, providing significant improvement terms sensitivity instrumental simplification, compared with previously reported based gold-sputtered electrode. exploration surface SEM, showing efficient adsorption nanoparticles due higher surface/volume ratio. Inter-electrode reproducibility using set three AuNPs-SPCE exposed GEM concentration 5.78 ng dm−3 times 0 360 min gave an average RSD 16%. Passive similar performance than 60 min. After 10 calibration adequate coefficients (R2 = 0.990) range 5.88–56.39 dm−3, detection limit 2.41 dm−3. A high 180 0.23 – 5.69 R2 0.986, 0.24