Polyvinylpyrrolidone stabilized silver nanoparticles (PV-AgNPs) were synthesized from AgNO₃/trisodium citrate and with the assistance of microwave energy. The synthesized PV-AgNPs were found to own an actual peroxidase mimicking activity. This catalytic activity can oxidize the non-fluorescence reagent (o-phenylenediamine) to a high fluorescence reaction product (2,3-diaminophenazine). The reaction product exhibited a fluorescence emission at 563 nm upon the excitation at 420. Among many metals, only mercury (II) ions can inhibit the catalytic activity of PV-AgNPs nanozyme. Accordingly, the fluorescence intensity of the reaction product has been successfully quenched. This quenching effect in the fluorescence intensity was directly proportional to the concentration of mercury (II). Depending on this finding, a simple, cost-effective, and selective spectrofluorimetric approach has been designed for mercury (II) detection in water samples. The linear relationship between the inhibition in fluorescence intensity and mercury (II) concentration was found in 20–2000 nM with a detection limit of 8.9 nM.

A simple, rapid, sensitive and economic spectrofluorimetric method has been developed and validated for determination of some β-adrenergic blocking agents namely; betaxolol hydrochloride (BTX), carvedilol (CAR), labetalol hydrochloride (LBT), nebivolol hydrochloride (NEB) and propranolol hydrochloride (PRO). The method is based on the quenching effect of the cited drugs on the fluorescence intensity of eosin Y at pH 3.4 (acetate buffer). The fluorescence quenching is due to the formation of an ion-pair complex and was measured without extraction at 545 nm (λex. 301.5 nm). The factors affecting the formation of the ion-pair complex were carefully studied and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges for the relationship between the fluorescence quenching value and the concentration of the investigated drugs were 100-2500, 150-2500 and 50-2250 ng mL^-1for (BTX, CAR), (LBT, NEB) and (PRO) respectively. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines and was applied for determination of the cited drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms with excellent recoveries. In addition, content uniformity testing of some commercial dosage forms was checked by the proposed method.