Harnessing biomass derived carbon material with heteroatoms for sensitive and selective detection of mercury (II) ions in waste water

Harnessing the Unique Fluorescent Properties of Carbon Materials Derived from Date Seeds for Highly Sensitive Mercury Sensing. This green and cost-effective sensing platform not only contributes to the field of mercury detection but also underscores the importance of utilizing bio-derived materials for eco-conscious and sustainable technological advancements. [Display omitted] •Date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) serve as sustainable material for the fabrication of a fluorescent sensing probe.•The unique porous structure and sulfur functionalization contribute to enhanced detection of Hg2+ ions even at low concentrations.•Utilizing date seeds as a precursor highlights the utilization of agricultural waste for valuable applications.•The fluorescent sensing probe offers a practical solution for water quality monitoring, particularly in detecting Hg2+ ions. A wide range of raw materials can be converted into carbon materialsprimarily through chemical and physical activation, or a combination of both. The characteristics of resultant carbon material depend significantly on activation method and the specific raw materials used. This work processes date seed biomass using a chemical activation and thermal annealing method to derive a low-cost and porous carbon material DS-AC@400. The material was then used as a fluorescent sensing probe for selective and precise detection of Hg2+ ions in wastewater. There was a linear correlation between Hg2+ concentration and fluorescence intensity of DS-AC@400 with a limit of detection of 8.69 nM. It was found that the DS-AC@400-based fluorescent sensor has a high selectivity for Hg2+ detection against other interferingmetal ions. The sensor workedeffectively in real water samplesfor practical applications with little interference from interfering ions.