article · Materials Chemistry and Physics
An electrochemical sensor has been developed to detect and quantify trace lead ions using glassy carbon electrodes modified with functionalised mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Synthesised using a modified Stöber method, the 200-nanometre particles were functionalised with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane, providing surface groups with high selectivity for lead. Experimental conditions including incubation time, buffer pH, and nanoparticle loading were optimised to enhance analytical performance. The resulting sensor achieved a dynamic detection range from 8.8 × 10−8 M to 1.2 × 10−6 M, with a detection limit of 2.6 × 10−8 M. Interference testing confirmed strong selectivity against competing ions. The sensor was subsequently tested on tap water and seawater samples collected from Monastir, Tunisia, yielding recovery rates between 88 and 104 percent. These findings demonstrate reliable performance in complex natural samples, supporting the platform's potential for rapid environmental testing.
Lead is a toxic heavy metal that poses severe hazards to human health and natural ecosystems when present in water supplies. Developing portable, sensitive, and selective testing tools allows for the rapid detection of trace contamination on site. This approach offers a reliable method to monitor water quality without requiring complex, slow laboratory procedures, helping protect public safety and environmental health.
This technology represents an applied and tested laboratory method intended for environmental monitoring and water quality analysis. It could enable rapid, portable screening devices for water utilities, environmental regulators, and testing laboratories. Having demonstrated feasibility on real tap water and seawater, the technique shows clear analytical validity, though moving from electrode-level laboratory testing to field-deployable commercial devices would require further hardware integration and engineering.
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Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, functionalized by APTES, were used to modify glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) and their performance was assessed for the accurate quantification of trace Pb2+ ions under electrochemical methods. Mesoporous (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane modified-silica particles (SiO2-APTES), of about 200 nm, were synthesized by the modified Stӧber method in presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Silica particles were characterized by X-Ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectrum analysis, and electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Furthermore, their mesoporous characteristics were investigated by the analysis of N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. The functional groups on the silica particle surface showed remarkable selectivity towards Pb2+. Various experimental parameters, including incubation time, pH of the buffered solution, and quantity of SiO2-APTES deposited on the electrode were systematically investigated to identify optimal operating conditions for the system. After optimization, the sensors covered a working dynamic range from 8.8 × 10−8 M to 1.2 × 10−6 M achieving a noteworthy limit of detection of 2.6 × 10−8 M. Interference studies have demonstrated that GCE/SiO2-APTES electrodes exhibit high sensitivity and specificity for Pb2+ detection, making them a promising tool for rapid and portable detection of this heavy metal. Finally, the feasibility of these electrodes for Pb2+ ions detection was evaluated in real samples such as seawater (obtained from Monastir, Tunisia) and tap water by using the standard addition method. The high accuracy and reliability of the SiO2-APTES modified GCE was demonstrated by the excellent recovery studies, which ranged from 88 to 104% for all spiked samples. The overall finding supports the practical applicability of this sensor for a real-world context and confirms its potential for environmental monitoring.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2024.129253
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