Polydiacetylene (PDA) liposome microarrays are developed for selective and sensitive mercury (Hg2+) detection. The PDA mercury sensors are designed to produce red fluorescence emission upon binding with Hg2+, when the ssDNA aptamers on the PDA surface recognize and wrap around mercury ions and the resulting bulky T‐Hg‐T complexes repulse each other.

Polydiacetylene (PDA) liposome microarrays have been developed for selective and sensitive mercury detection. The sensors, reported by Jinsang Kim and co‐workers, are designed to produce red fluorescence emission upon binding with Hg2+; when the single‐stranded DNA aptamers on the microarray selectively wrap around the mercury ions, the resulting complexes repulse each other. The epoxy‐based PDA liposome design is an excellent universal platform that can be readily extended to other sensor designs.