Abstract: Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained growing attention in analytical chemistry particularly for the pre-concentration of trace elements prior to their analysis using advanced instrumental techniques. Despite their promising structural and functional properties for selective extraction and enrichment of elemental species, their application in speciation remains relatively underexplored. Mercury, one of the most hazardous pollutants, exists in environments in various chemical species that differ significantly in toxicity, mobility, and bioavailability. Therefore, developing new methods for mercury speciation in environmental samples continues to be a pressing goal in analytical chemistry. This study presents a novel approach for the speciation of inorganic and organic mercury in water. This approach is based on pre-concentration using dynamic solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by their determination using cold vapor inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (CV-ICP-AES). An original dynamic SPE-procedure based on the use of [Zr6O4(OH)4([3.2-b]ttdc)6], MOF that incorporates a Zr(IV) fragment and thienthiophene-dicarboxylic acid as a linker, was designed. The developed method allows determination of the species most often found in natural and contaminated environments, mercury(II) and methylmercury, at levels between 0.008 and 0.01 µg L−1. The developed assay demonstrates a high efficiency, low detection limits, and admissible analysis duration. The reliability of the data was confirmed by the spiking method.

Cite: Shuvaeva O.V. , Volynkin S.S. , Romanova T.E.
Speciation of Mercury in Water Using Metal-Organic Framework in Dynamic Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Cold Vapor Generation (CV) – Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) Detection
Analytical Letters. 2026. V.59. N10. P.1737-1751. DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2025.2566846 WOS Scopus OpenAlex

Dates:

Submitted:	May 15, 2025
Accepted:	Sep 23, 2025
Published online:	Oct 2, 2025
Published print:	May 5, 2026

Identifiers:

≡ Web of science:	WOS:001586292400001
≡ Scopus:	2-s2.0-105018187862
≡ OpenAlex:	W4414774318

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