First, mercury removal from water was tested. Accordingly, 100 mg of the coated silica (either cured or uncured) were added to a 45 mL solution of HgCl2 in water (5 ppm mercury) and agitated using an end-over-end mixer. Uncoated silica was tested as a negative control. Silica coated with cured 1 followed by extensive chloroform washing was also tested (S60). All tests were carried out in triplicate and the mercury concentration in the water was measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy (CVAAS) every 30 minutes. The results (S61-S62) indicate that the polymer coated silica was highly effective in mercury sorption. The uncured sample removed >99% of mercury within 2 hours. Both cured samples removed at least 92% of mercury over the same time period (S62). These results indicate that curing slightly reduces the effectiveness as a mercury sorbent, but curing also renders the sorbent solvent resistant. The unmodified silica gel only removed 14% of the mercury, meaning the coating plays a key role in mercury uptake. To detemine the maximum mercury capacity of the material, an isotherm analysis was carrier out and the data fitted using the Langmuir model (S63). The capacity of the sorbent (polymer and silica) was found to be 5 mg/g. However since 90% of the sorbent is silica gel and only 10% polymer by mass, this corresponds to a capacity of 50 mg mercury per gram of polymer coating. And while this sorption capacity is lower than many high performance sorbents such as activated carbon and other sophisticated porous or nanostructured materials, the sorption capacity is comparable to other sulfur polymer sorbents. Next, a mixture containing equal volumes of water and diesel fuel was prepared and spiked with HgCl2 so that the mercury concentration was 5 ppm. To 45 mL of this mixture, a 100 mg portion of the silica, coated with 1 and cured, was added. The mixture was agitated to create an emulsion (S64), and then rotated on an endover-end mixer for 2 hours. The mercury concentration of the water layer was monitored when the sorption experiment was started, and then every 30 minutes thereafter. The water and diesel layers were separated using a centrifuge and the mercury content in the water was measured by CVAAS. Over 2 hours, 92% of the mercury was removed (S65). The diesel did not interfere in the mercury capture or dissolve the polymer sorbent, indicating the cured coating is tolerant of these hydrocarbon mixtures.