The SPE-assisted europium (III) based complex fluorometric assay for the highly selective and sensitive detection of manganese (II) in water

Detection of trace manganese (Ⅱ) ion (Mn 2+ ) is crucial to water safety. Here, commercially available PS-DVB microspheres were sulfonated and then filled into the SPE column in order to separate Mn 2+ from complex matrices. Meanwhile, europium (III) complex was prepared with a simple “one pot” method, and its fluorescence intensity was quenched gradually with the increase of Mn 2+ concentration. Europium (III) complex combined with home-made SPE column was utilized for highly selective and sensitive measurement of Mn 2+ . The detectable concentrations of Mn 2+ can be low as 0.2 μM, which was less than the drinking water guidelines. Consequently, this new method is promising to assess the content of Mn 2+ rapidly and accurately in real-world water samples.