Colorimetric detection of Co2+ ion using silver nanoparticles with spherical, plate, and rod shapes

Silver Nanoparticles: Multifunctional Tool in Environmental Water Remediation

Water pollution is a worldwide environmental and health problem that requires the development of sustainable, efficient, and accessible technologies. Nanotechnology is a very attractive alternative in environmental remediation processes due to the multiple properties that are conferred on a material when it is at the nanometric scale. This present review focuses on the understanding of the structure-physicochemical properties-performance relationships of silver nanoparticles, with the objective of guiding the selection of physicochemical properties that promote greater performance and are key factors in their use as antibacterial agents, surface modifiers, colorimetric sensors, signal amplifiers, and plasmonic photocatalysts. Silver nanoparticles with a size of less than 10 nm, morphology with a high percentage of reactive facets {111}, and positive surface charge improve the interaction of the nanoparticles with bacterial cells and induce a greater antibacterial effect. Adsorbent materials functionalized with an optimal concentration of silver nanoparticles increase their contact area and enhance adsorbent capacity. The use of stabilizing agents in silver nanoparticles promotes selective adsorption of contaminants by modifying the surface charge and type of active sites in an adsorbent material, in addition to inducing selective complexation and providing stability in their use as colorimetric sensors. Silver nanoparticles with complex morphologies allow the formation of hot spots or chemical or electromagnetic bonds between substrate and analyte, promoting a greater amplification factor. Controlled doping with nanoparticles in photocatalytic materials produces improvements in their electronic structural properties, promotes changes in charge transfer and bandgap, and improves and expands their photocatalytic properties. Silver nanoparticles have potential use as a tool in water remediation, where by selecting appropriate physicochemical properties for each application, their performance and efficiency are improved.

Recent advances in the fluorimetric and colorimetric detection of cobalt ions

Cobalt is an essential metal to maintain several functions in the human body and is present in functional materials for numerous applications. Thus, to monitor these functions, it is necessary to develop suitable probes for the detection of cobalt. Presently, researchers are focused on designing different chemosensors for the qualitative and quantitative detection of the metal ions. Among the numerous methods devised for the identification of cobalt ions, colorimetric and fluorimetric techniques are considered the best choice due to their user-friendly nature, sensitivity, accuracy, linearity and robustness. In these techniques, the interaction of the analyte with the chemosensor leads to structural changes in the molecule, causing the emission and excitation intensities (bathochromic, hyperchromic, hypochromic, and hypsochromic) to change with a change in the concentration of the analyte. In this review, the recent advancements in the fluorimetric and colorimetric detection of cobalt ions are systematically summarized, and it is concluded that the development of chemosensors having distinctive colour changes when interacting with cobalt ions has been targeted for on-site detection. The chemosensors are grouped in various categories and their comparison and the discussion of computational studies will enable readers to have a quick overview and help in designing effective and efficient probes for the detection of cobalt in the field of chemo-sensing.

Alginic acid-functionalized silver nanoparticles: A rapid monitoring tool for detecting the technology-critical element tellurium

The increasing global demand for tellurium, driven by its critical role in alloys, photovoltaic devices, and electronics, has raised concerns about its environmental pollution and neurotoxicity. In response, the potential of alginic acid (AA), a renewable, low-cost, and sustainable biopolymer, was explored for the biosynthesis of ultra-small silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their application in the detection of tellurium (Te(IV)). The effect of key synthesis parameters on desired physicochemical properties and yield of AgNPs was established to ensure high specificity and sensitivity towards Te(IV). The purified AgNPs with AA surface ligands were utilized to demonstrate a ratiometric absorbance sensor that exhibits excellent linearity and nanomolar-level affinity. This approach achieved a high correlation coefficient of ∼ 0.982, with a low detection limit of about 22 nM. Further investigations into the effect of pH, ionic strength, and organic molecules were conducted to elucidate detection performance and molecular understanding. The detection mechanism relies on the coordination between Te(IV) ions and the carboxylate groups of AA, which initiates aggregation-induced plasmon coupling in adjacent AgNPs. The capability of this analytical method to monitor Te(IV) in real-world water samples features its rapidity, user-friendliness, and suitability for point-of-care monitoring, making it a promising alternative to more complex techniques.

Smartphone-integrated colorimetric and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for the trace-level detection of permethrin

Permethrin is a pyrethroid pesticide and insect repellent that prevents mosquito-borne infections like dengue and malaria in tropical areas. This work describes a new colorimetric sensor based on metronidazole-stabilized silver nanoparticles (MTZ-AgNPs) for the first rapid, sensitive, and selective permethrin detection. The MTZ-AgNPs-based colorimetric sensor has a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0104 µM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.0348 µM, respectively. The sensor is further integrated with smartphone and microfluidic fabrication of paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) for real-time and on-site detection of permethrin. Under optimal settings, no potential environmental contaminants interfere with permethrin detection, confirming its high selectivity. Finally, the practical applicability of sensors is confirmed in real tomato and apple extract samples. The US environmental protection agency's recommended UPLC method validated the detection efficiency of the proposed colorimetric sensor. The % recoveries from UPLC and MTZ-AgNPs suggest that the present sensor can quantitatively analyze permethrin in real samples.

Recent Advancements of LSPR Fiber-Optic Biosensing: Combination Methods, Structure, and Prospects

Fiber-optic biosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have the advantages of great biocompatibility, label-free, strong stability, and real-time monitoring of various analytes. LSPR fiber-optic biosensors have attracted extensive research attention in the fields of environmental science, clinical medicine, disease diagnosis, and food safety. The latest development of LSPR fiber-optic biosensors in recent years has focused on the detection of clinical disease markers and the detection of various toxic substances in the environment and the progress of new sensitization mechanisms in LSPR fiber-optic sensors. Therefore, this paper reviews the LSPR fiber-optic sensors from the aspects of working principle, structure, and application fields in biosensors. According to the structure, the sensor can be divided into three categories: traditional ordinary optical fiber, special shape optical fiber, and specialty optical fiber. The advantages and disadvantages of existing and future LSPR fiber-optic biosensors are discussed in detail. Additionally, the prospect of future development of fiber-optic biosensors based on LSPR is addressed.

Deposition of Thick SiO2 Coatings to Carbonyl Iron Microparticles for Thermal Stability and Microwave Performance

Thick dielectric SiO₂ shells on the surface of iron particles enhance the thermal and electrodynamic parameters of the iron. A technique to deposit thick, 500-nm, SiO₂ shell to the surface of carbonyl iron (CI) particles was developed. The method consists of repeated deposition of SiO₂ particles with air drying between iterations. This method allows to obtain thick dielectric shells up to 475 nm on individual CI particles. The paper shows that a thick SiO₂ protective layer reduces the permittivity of the 'Fe-SiO₂-paraffin' composite in accordance with the Maxwell Garnett medium theory. The protective shell increases the thermal stability of iron, when heated in air, by shifting the transition temperature to the higher oxide. The particle size, the thickness of the SiO₂ shells, and the elemental analysis of the samples were studied using a scanning electron microscope. A coaxial waveguide and the Nicholson-Ross technique were used to measure microwave permeability and permittivity of the samples. A vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) was used to measure the magnetostatic data. A synchronous thermal analysis was applied to measure the thermal stability of the coated iron particles. The developed samples can be applied for electromagnetic compatibility problems, as well as the active material for various types of sensors.

Carbon-polymer dot-based UV absorption and fluorescence performances for heavy metal ion detection

In previous reports, carbon dots (CDs) were customarily used as fluorescent probes to detect heavy metal ions. However, scientists neglected to take advantage of the excellent UV absorption properties of CDs to detect heavy metal ions. Herein, we synthesized nitrogen-containing carbon polymer dots (N-CPDs) for the determination of Co²⁺ ions in water samples by a one-step hydrothermal method using l-histidine and ethylene imine polymer as raw materials. The N-CPDs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrum (UV-vis), infrared spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. They possess superior full-band UV absorption performance and the surface is rich in multifunctional groups such as -COOH, -CN-, -OH, etc. When Co²⁺ was added to N-CPDs solution, the color of the solution rapidly changed from colorless to yellow-brown, which was visible to the naked eye. The UV absorption intensity of N-CPDs changed, and the fluorescence was instantly quenched, due to the formation of chelate between Co²⁺ and N-CPDs, and the FRET process occurred. The detection of Co²⁺ showed good linearity for both fluorescence and UV absorption spectroscopy modes in the range of 0-200 μM, and the limit of detection were 1.0023 μM and 0.75 μM, respectively. These two methods have the advantages of simple operation, remarkable selectivity and small sample size, which can be applied to the field detection of Co²⁺ in water samples. It is possible to develop the UV absorption properties of CDs to detect the ions.

A highly sensitive colorimetric sensing platform based on silver nanocomposites for alkaline phosphatase

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays significant roles in regulating intracellular processes and is an important biomarker connected to several diseases. In this work, one facile and sensitive sensing platform based on CQD-silver nanocomposites (CQD-silver NPs) for colorimetric detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was introduced. ALP triggers the removal of the phosphate group of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA2P), which is then transformed into ascorbic acid (AA). The as-obtained AA can easily cause significant aggregation of monodispersed NPs and cause the system color to turn from bright yellow to gray. Based on the color change of the ratio of 490 nm/630 nm, ALP was sensitively and selectively detected. Under the optimum, the established method showed linearity for ALP in the range of 0.1-50 U L^-1 and the detection limit was low at 0.035 U L^-1, and it was subjected to ALP inhibitor screening from goji berry extract. These results indicated that the colorimetric system can be used as a simple tool for visual and fast evaluation of ALP activity as well as providing an alternative to screen ALP inhibitors.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticle composites based on hesperidin and pectin and their synergistic antibacterial mechanism

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were widely used in the antibacterial field because of their excellent antibacterial properties. In this study, we used hesperidin and pectin as reductants and stabilizers, and prepared uniform and stable Hesperidin-Pectin AgNPs (HP-AgNPs) by a simple microwave-assisted process. Increasing the proportion of hesperidin, P-AgNPs, HP-AgNPs1, HP-AgNPs2 and H-AgNPs were obtained respectively. With the increase of hesperidin ratio, the mean particle size and zeta potential increased gradually. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that Ag⁺ was reduced by hesperidin and pectin. Antibacterial tests showed that HP-AgNPs2 showed the MIC values of 66.7 μg/mL against E. coli. In addition, HP-AgNPs2 was selected to clarify its antibacterial mechanism against E. coli. Morphological experiments showed that HP-AgNPs2 stress caused damage to the cell wall of E. coli, as well as leakage of its contents and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the other hand, the release of Ag⁺ during cell co-culture was studied and the results showed that most of the Ag⁺ released was taken up by E. coli. The synergistic effect of hesperidin and pectin resulted in a significant enhancement of the antibacterial properties of AgNPs. These preliminary data suggest that HP-AgNPs has good antibacterial activity and may be developed as an effective antibacterial nanomaterial.

Selective colorimetric detection of Cr(VI) using starch-stabilized silver nanoparticles and application for chromium speciation

The selective quantitation of Cr(VI) was developed through colorimetric detection using starch-stabilized silver nanoparticles (starch-AgNPs). The detection of Cr(VI) was based on oxidative degradation of starch-AgNPs as the reduction of UV-Vis signal and the distinctive color change from yellow to colorless of starch-AgNPs were observed. To achieve the highest sensitivity by this method, pH 3, and only 1 min were required for the determination of Cr(VI). For analytical performances, two linear ranges of 0-6 µM and 10-80 µM with limit of detection of 0.93 µM (48 µg/L) and 11.57 µM (0.60 mg/L) were obtained, respectively. The developed colorimetric method was combined with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for the speciation analysis of chromium. The concentration of Cr(III) was calculated by subtraction of Cr(VI) from the total chromium concentration determined by ICP-OES. A satisfactory accuracy and precision based on the AOAC guidelines also proved that this simple and rapid sensor was successfully applied for speciation of chromium in real water samples.

Identification of heavy metal ions from aqueous environment through gold, Silver and Copper Nanoparticles: An excellent colorimetric approach

Heavy metal pollution has become a severe threat to human health and the environment for many years. Their extensive release can severely damage the environment and promote the generation of many harmful diseases of public health concerns. These toxic heavy metals can cause many health problems such as brain damage, kidney failure, immune system disorder, muscle weakness, paralysis of the limbs, cardio complaint, nervous system. For many years, researchers focus on developing specific reliable analytical methods for the determination of heavy metal ions and preventing their acute toxicity to a significant extent. The modern researchers intended to utilize efficient and discerning materials, e.g. nanomaterials, especially the metal nanoparticles to detect heavy metal ions from different real sources rapidly. The metal nanoparticles have been broadly utilized as a sensing material for the colorimetric detection of toxic metal ions. The metal nanoparticles such as Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), and Copper (Cu) exhibited localized plasmon surface resonance (LPSR) properties which adds an outstanding contribution to the colorimetric sensing field. Though, the stability of metal nanoparticles was major issue to be exploited colorimetric sensing of heavy emtal ions, but from last decade different capping and stabilizing agents such as amino acids, vitmains, acids and ploymers were used to functionalize the metal surface of metal nanoparticles. These capping agents prevent the agglomeration of nanoparticles and make them more active for prolong period of time. This review covers a comprehensive work carried out for colorimetric detection of heavy metals based on metal nanoparticles from the year 2014 to onwards.

Silver Nanoparticle-Based Sensor for the Selective Detection of Nickel Ions

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be used as a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) colorimetric sensor; the correlation between the SPR phenomenon and the aggregation state of nanoparticle allows the real-time detection of a target molecule. Surface functionalization of NPs with proper molecular baits is often performed to establish the selectivity of the sensor. This work reports on the synthesis of AgNPs under reducing conditions and on the functionalization thereof with mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA). UV-VIS Spectroscopy confirmed the formation of AgNPs, eliciting a surface plasmon absorption band (SPAB) at 393 nm that shifted to 417 nm upon surface coating. Dynamic light scattering was used to investigate the surface coatings; moreover, pelleted AgNPs@11MUA nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analyzers (EDX), and infrared spectroscopy to corroborate the presence of 11MUA on the surface. Most interestingly, the resulting AgNPs@11MUA selectively detected micromolar levels of Ni²⁺, also in the presence of other cations such as Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cr³⁺.

Naked eye colorimetric detection of fluoride through TiO2 NPs/CQDs based detector

Fluoride (F^-) occurs naturally in a soil, air and water as commonly found element in earth crusts. Almost 200 million populations worldwide and approximately 60 million in India are facing F^- contamination problem. Therefore, development of low-cost and highly sensitive colorimetric detector for F^- ions using carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and metal salts is required. For this, CQDs were synthesized using flower waste from temples by green method and further characterized. CQDs-TiO₂ complex solution color changes from green to black on addition of F^- ions due to exchange of F^- ions with hydroxyl ions of the solution. Absorption spectrum of CQDs-TiO₂ complex solution depicts change in spectral graph on adding F^- ions with the appearance of new band at approx. 550 nm. The color spectral as a function of F^- ions concentration gave a linear response in the range of 2-8 ppm (R² = 0.9808). The color change can be observed at 2 ppm after incubation of 5 min by naked eye. Developed colorimetric detector shows high selectivity with other ions (Cl^-, Br^-, I^- and H₂PO₄^-). The F^- ion detection was done in different water samples collected from districts of Haryana using developed detector. The developed colorimetric detector allows wide range of F^- sensing for water sample even at every low concentration i.e 2 ppm.

Silver nanoparticle in biosensor and bioimaging: Clinical perspectives

Recent developments in nanotechnology promoted the production of nanomaterials with various shapes and sizes by utilizing interdisciplinary researches of biology, chemistry, and material science toward the clinical perspectives. In particular, gold and silver (Ag) are noble metals that exhibit tunable and unique plasmonic properties for the downstream applications. Ag exhibits higher thermal and electrical conductivities, and more efficient in the electron transfer than gold with sharper extinction bands. In addition, modified Ag nanoparticle is more stable in water and air. With all these above features, Ag is an attractive tool in various fields, including diagnosis, drug delivery, environmental, electronics, and as antimicrobial agent. In particular, applications of Ag nanoparticle in the fields of biosensor and imaging are prominent in recent days. Enhancing the specific detection of clinical markers with Ag nanoparticle has been proved by several studies. This review discussed the constructive application of Ag nanoparticle in biosensor and bioimaging for the detection of small molecule to larger whole cell in the perspectives of diagnosing diseases.

Highly sensitive determination of Co(II) ions in solutions by using modified silver nanoparticles

In this manuscript, we report the development of a rapid and facile optic sensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of cobalt ions (Co(II)). The detection strategy was based on the specific silver nanoparticle-glutathione interaction and later on secondary interaction of this structure with cysteine and Co(II) ion. The interaction of these structures creates a new absorption band in the UV region. The intensity change of this band can be correlated by Co(II) ion concentration. The addition of cysteine decreases the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) of silver nanoparticles but does not provide quantitative information. The proposed method offers the advantage of improved sensitivity for detection of Co(II) ions in a very short time period. Co(II) ions create a unique absorption peak during the complex formation and this peak provides sensitive determination of this metal ion in existence of other metal ions. The peak is visible only after taking the first derivative of absorption spectra. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit of the method is around 0.68 μM. In addition, the synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The proposed metal ion sensor provides a very facile and convenient way to determine the concentration of Co(II) ions in aqueous system.

Ultrasensitive detection of cadmium ions using a microcantilever-based piezoresistive sensor for groundwater

This paper proposes the selective and ultrasensitive detection of Cd(II) ions using a cysteamine-functionalized microcantilever-based sensor with cross-linked ᴅʟ-glyceraldehyde (DL-GC). The detection time for various laboratory-based techniques is generally 12-24 hours. The experiments were performed to create self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of cysteamine cross-linked with ᴅʟ-glyceraldehyde on the microcantilever surface to selectively capture the targeted Cd(II). The proposed portable microfluidic platform is able to achieve the detection in 20-23 min with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.56 ng (2.78 pM), which perfectly describes its excellent performance over other reported techniques. Many researchers used nanoparticle-based sensors for the detection of heavy metal ions, but daily increasing usage and commercialization of nanoparticles are rapidly expanding their deleterious effect on human health and the environment. The proposed technique uses a blend of thin-film and microcantilever (micro-electromechanical systems) technology, which mitigate the disadvantages of the nanoparticle approaches, for the selective detection of Cd(II) with a LOD below the WHO limit of 3 μg/L.

Construction of Chiral "Triple-Decker" Nd(III) Nanocluster with High NIR Luminescence Sensitivity toward Co(II)

One Nd(III) complex [Nd₃L₃(OAc)₃] (1) was synthesized from a conjugate Schiff base ligand H₂L. It shows a chiral "triple-decker" structure (1.1 × 1.2 × 1.8 nm) with Nd(III) ions sandwiched between the Schiff base ligands. 1 exhibits NIR Nd(III) luminescence, and the LMET efficiency is calculated to be 13.8%. It displays high luminescence sensitivity and selectivity to Co(II). The K_SV value and LOD of 1 to Co(II) are 9.96 × 10⁴ M^-1 and 0.97 μM, respectively.

Sensitive colorimetric detection of Pb2+ by geometric field amplification and surface plasmon resonance visualization

Pb²⁺ is one of the major environmental pollutants, which can be visually detected by surface plasmon resonance of nanoparticles. Paper based analytical device, as a newly developed microfluidic detection platform, is featured in cost-effective and suitable for on-site analysis. In this paper, a sensitive and portable detection method for Pb²⁺ was proposed, in which Pb²⁺ was electrokinetically stacked on the paper fluidic channel by geometric field amplification effect and visualized online by glutathione-modified silver nanoparticles. Colorimetric quantification of the visualized stacking band was conducted by smart phone camera. To avoid unfavorable influence from pH change on the surface plasmon resonance visualization, field amplification effect was introduced by geometric design of the paper fluidic channel. The enriched Pb²⁺ was clearly visible on the paper substrate, and the stacking band intensity was about four orders of magnitude enhanced, comparing to the intensity without stacking. A linear response to Pb²⁺ was observed in the range of 0.3-7.0 μM (R² = 0.997) with a limit of detection of 86 nM and a limit of quantity of 0.28 μM. The established method was used in the detection of Pb²⁺ from river and lake water samples, and the results were confirmed by atomic absorption spectroscopy method.

Silver Nanoparticles as Colorimetric Sensors for Water Pollutants

This review provides an up-to-date overview on silver nanoparticles-based materials suitable as optical sensors for water pollutants. The topic is really hot considering the implications for human health and environment due to water pollutants. In fact, the pollutants present in the water disturb the spontaneity of life-related mechanisms, such as the synthesis of cellular constituents and the transport of nutrients into cells, and this causes long / short-term diseases. For this reason, research continuously tends to develop always innovative, selective and efficient processes / technologies to remove pollutants from water. In this paper we will report on the silver nanoparticles synthesis, paying attention to the stabilizers and mostly used ligands, to the characterizations, to the properties and applications as colorimetric sensors for water pollutants. As water pollutants our attention will be focused on several heavy metals ions, such as Hg(II), Ni(II),Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Cr(III/V) Co(II) Cd(II), Pb(II), due to their dangerous effects on human health. In addition, several systems based on silver nanoparticles employed as pesticides colorimetric sensors in water will be also discussed. All of this with the aim to provide to readers a guide about recent advanced silver nanomaterials, used as colorimetric sensors in water.

Citrate and Polyvinylpyrrolidone Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles as Selective Colorimetric Sensor for Aluminum (III) Ions in Real Water Samples

The use of silver nanoparticles stabilized with citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a sensor for aluminum ions determination is proposed in this paper. These non-functionalized and specific nanoparticles provide a highly selective and sensitive detection system for aluminum in acidic solutions. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Surface plasmon band deconvolution analysis was applied to study the interaction between silver nanoparticles and aluminum ions in solution. The interaction band in the UV-visible region was used as an analytical signal for quantitation purposes. The proposed detection system offers an effective AND wide linearity range (0.1–10³ nM), specificity for Al(III) in THE presence of other metallic ions in solution, as well as high sensitivity (limit of detection = 40.5 nM). The proposed silver-nanoparticles-based sensor WAS successfully used for detecting Al(III) in real water samples.

Novel color filters for the correction of red-green color vision deficiency based on the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of Au nanoparticles

Color filters are promising tools for the correction of color vision deficiency because a medical cure of this physiological deficiency is unattainable. After the introduction of organic-dye based color filters, however, no appreciable progress has been made. In this study, gold nanoparticle-based plasmonic color filter devices, that is, EyEye-lens and EyEye-film, were developed for the correction of color vision deficiency. The EyEye-lens was prepared by a simple immobilizing technique, and the EyEye-film was readily synthesized through a one-pot method. These color filter devices are based on tunable localized surface plasmon resonance in the visible and near-infrared spectral range. Plasmonic nanoparticles embedded in the color filter provide a specific spectral color range for the correction of color vision deficiency. Careful color vision tests using an Ishihara plate were performed on subjects with red-green color deficiency. Statistical analysis of the color vision tests revealed that the EyEye-lens and EyEye-film have similar or better performance in the correction of red-green color deficiency than a commercial ChromaGen lens. The newly developed color filter devices should be considered as alternative personalized color filter devices for practical applications.

Colorimetric Sensing of Pb2+ Ion by Using Ag Nanoparticles in the Presence of Dithizone

Colorimetric analysis of heavy metal ions can be realized by the aid of Ag nanoparticles to improve the analytical characteristics. The method is based on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). In this work, we applied the AgNPs with the addition of dithizone to further improve the selectivity and sensitivity of Pb2+ analysis. Colorimetric sensing of Pb2+ ions based on the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-stabilized-colloidal AgNPs in the presence of dithizone is reported. A linear decrease in the AgNPs LSPR absorbance at 421 nm was observed along with the increase in the Pb2+ concentration in the range of 0.50–10 µg/L. The other ions give a minor change in the LSPR absorbance of colloidal AgNPs. The Pb2+ limit of detection, the limit of quantification, and sensitivity were found to be 0.64 ± 0.04 µg/L, 2.1 ± 0.15 µg/L, 0.0282 ± 0.0040 L/µg (n = 5), respectively. The obtained sensitivity is comparable with that of the immunosensing method. The proposed method could offer a good alternative for colorimetric analysis of Pb2+ ions by using nanoparticles in the presence of ligands, which can improve selectivity.

Colorimetric Detection of Mercury Ions in Water with Capped Silver Nanoprisms

The emission of mercury (II) from coal combustion and other industrial processes may have impacts on water resources, and the detection with sensitive but rapid testing methods is desirable for environmental screening. Towards this end, silver nanoprisms were chemically synthesized resulting in a blue reagent solution that transitioned towards red and yellow solutions when exposed to Hg²⁺ ions at concentrations from 0.5 to 100 µM. A galvanic reduction of Hg²⁺ onto the surfaces is apparently responsible for a change in nanoprism shape towards spherical nanoparticles, leading to the change in solution color. There were no interferences by other tested mono- and divalent metal cations in solution and pH had minimal influence in the range of 6.5 to 9.8. The silver nanoprism reagent provided a detection limit of approximately 1.5 µM (300 µg/L) for mercury (II), which compared reasonably well with other reported nanoparticle-based techniques. Further optimization may reduce this detection limit, but matrix effects in realistic water samples require further investigation and amelioration.

Colorimetric sensing of Fe3+ and Hg2+ and photocatalytic activity of green synthesized silver nanoparticles from the leaf extract of Sonchus arvensis L

In the present study, an eco-friendly method was reported for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Sonchus arvensis (SA) leaf extract.

A repertoire of biomedical applications of noble metal nanoparticles

The emerging properties of noble metal nanoparticles are attracting huge interest from the translational scientific community. In this feature article, we highlight recent advances in the adaptation of noble metal nanomaterials and their biomedical applications in therapeutics, diagnostics and sensing.

Facile and on-line colorimetric detection of Hg2+based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ag nanotriangles

A rapid and sensitive colorimetric detection method for the determination of Hg²⁺ has been successfully developed in this research. Citrate-functionalized silver nanotriangles (AgTrngs) were synthesized via one-pot sodium borohydride method with the edge-length range of 30 - 40 nm. The obtained AgTrngs were fully characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersed spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffractometer. The efficiency of the developed sensor was optimum at pH= 8 due to interfering effect of H⁺ ions for Hg²⁺ under acidic conditions. The successful detection of mercury in aqueous solutions in the concentration range of 10 nmol L^-1-50 μmol L^-1 indicated the applicability of the developed sensor for effective monitoring and controlling the level of Hg²⁺ in industrial effluents. The ability of Hg²⁺ ion to interact with Ag and form the Hg-Ag alloy (amalgam) over the surface of AgTrngs resulted in an obvious color change from blue to violet. UV-Vis spectrophotometry showed that the sensor has the limit of detection (LOD) value of as low as 4 nmol L^-1 which was below the safety level of Hg²⁺ions (10 nmol L^-1) in drinking water. The proposed method can be used for on-line determination of Hg²⁺ in the complex aqueous solutions.

Determination of diclofenac sodium by resonance light scattering method using silver nanoparticles as probe

A sensitive, simple and novel method was developed to determine diclofenac sodium (DS) using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as probe by resonance light scattering (RLS) technique. It was found that DS could quench the RLS intensity of AgNPs. Moreover, the decrease in RLS intensity was linearly correlated to the concentration of DS over the range of 0.01-2.0μgmL^-1. DS can be measured in a short time (5min) without any complicated or time-consuming sample pretreatment process. Parameters that affect the RLS intensities such as pH, concentration of AgNPs, reaction time, electrolyte concentration, and coexisting substances were systematically investigated and optimized. The results showed that the method had a very good selectivity and could be used conveniently for the determination of DS. The limit of detection (LOD) was 2.85ngmL^-1 (3σ), and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 3.6% (n=6). Possible mechanism for the RLS changes of AgNPs in the presence of DS was discussed and the method was successfully applied for the analysis of tablets and urine samples.

Photothermal Cellulose-Patch with Gold-Spiked Silica Microrods Based on Escherichia coli

Plasmonic-mediated photothermal heating under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation is an emerging key technology in the field of photothermal therapy and chemical reactions. However, there are few reports of photothermal film (dry-type patch), and thus, in this work, we developed the plasmonic-induced photothermal cellulose-patch operating in the NIR region. Hollow and spikelike gold nanostructures, gold-spikes, as plasmonic nanoparticles were prepared and decorated on silica microrods, which were prepared based on a unicellular organism, Escherichia coli, as a framework. In addition, freestanding cellulose-patch was prepared by mixing filter-paper pulp and armored golden E. coli (AGE) microrods. The major absorbing peak of AGE solution was revealed to be 873 nm, and the surface temperature of patch was increased to 264 °C within a very short time (1 min). When NIR laser was irradiated on the patch dipped in the water, the formation of water vapor and air bubbles was observed. The heating efficiency of indirect heat transfer via conduction from patch-to-water was 35.0%, while that of direct heat transfer via radiation from patch in water was 86.1%. Therefore, the cellulose-patch containing AGE microrods has possible applicability to desalination and sterilization because of its fast heating rate and high light-to-heat conversion under the irradiation of low-powered IR laser.

A supersensitive silver nanoprobe based aptasensor for low cost detection of malathion residues in water and food samples

In the present study, we report a highly sensitive, rapid and low cost colorimetric monitoring of malathion (an organophosphate insecticide) employing a basic hexapeptide, malathion specific aptamer (oligonucleotide) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a nanoprobe. AgNPs are made to interact with the aptamer and peptide to give different optical responses depending upon the presence or absence of malathion. The nanoparticles remain yellow in color in the absence of malathion owing to the binding of aptamer with peptide which otherwise tends to aggregate the particles because of charge based interactions. In the presence of malathion, the agglomeration of the particles occurs which turns the solution orange. Furthermore, the developed aptasensor was successfully applied to detect malathion in various water samples and apple. The detection offered high recoveries in the range of 89-120% with the relative standard deviation within 2.98-4.78%. The proposed methodology exhibited excellent selectivity and a very low limit of detection i.e. 0.5pM was achieved. The developed facile, rapid and low cost silver nanoprobe based on aptamer and peptide proved to be potentially applicable for highly selective and sensitive colorimetric sensing of trace levels of malathion in complex environmental samples.

Engineering Interface with One-Dimensional Co3O4 Nanostructure in Catalytic Membrane Electrode: Toward an Advanced Electrocatalyst for Alcohol Oxidation

Electrochemical oxidation has attracted vast interest as a promising alternative to traditional chemical processes in fine chemical synthesis owing to its fast and sustainable features. An electrocatalytic membrane reactor (ECMR) with a three-dimensional (3D) electrode has been successfully designed for the selective oxidation of alcohols with high current efficiency to the corresponding acids or ketones. The anode electrode was fabricated by the in situ loading of one-dimensional (1D) Co₃O₄ nanowires (NWs) on the conductive porous Ti membrane (Co₃O₄ NWs/Ti) via the combination of a facile hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent thermal treatment. The electrocatalytic oxidation (ECO) results of alcohols exhibited superior catalytic performance with a higher current efficiency on the Co₃O₄ NWs/Ti membrane compared with those of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles on the Ti membrane (Co₃O₄ NPs/Ti). Even under low reaction temperatures such as 0 °C, it still displayed a very high ECO activity for alcohol oxidation in the ECMR. For example, >99% conversion and 92% selectivity toward benzoic acid were obtained for the benzyl alcohol electrooxidation. The electrode is particularly effective for the cyclohexanol oxidation, and a selectivity of >99% to cyclohexanone was achieved at 0 °C, higher than most reported noble-metal catalysts under the aerobic reaction conditions. The extraordinary electrocatalytic performance of the 3D Co₃O₄ NWs/Ti membrane electrode demonstrates the significant influence of morphology effect and engineering interfaces in membrane electrodes on the electrocatalytic activity and charge transfer process of nanocatalysts. Our results propose that similar membrane electrodes serve as versatile platforms for the applications of 1D nanomaterials, porous electrodes, and ECMRs.

Colorimetric detection of biothiols based on aggregation of chitosan-stabilized silver nanoparticles

We have described a simple and reliable colorimetric method for the sensing of biothiols such as cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione in biological samples. The selective binding of chitosan capped silver nanoparticles to biothiols induced aggregation of the chitosan-Ag NPs. But the other amino acids that do not have thiol group cannot aggregate the chitosan-Ag NPs. Aggregation of chitosan-Ag NPs has been confirmed with UV-vis absorption spectra, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy images. Under optimum conditions, good linear relationships existed between the absorption ratios (at A₅₀₀/A₄₁₅) and the concentrations of cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione in the range of 0.1-10.0μM with detection limits of 15.0, 84.6 and 40.0nM, respectively. This probe was successfully applied to detect these biothiols in biological samples (urine and plasma).

A systematic study of triangular silver nanoplates: one-pot green synthesis, chemical stability, and sensing application

While there has been remarkable success in generating silver (Ag) nanoplates, and they have considerable potential applications, their degradation behavior in certain environments remains poorly understood. In the current work, we investigated the chemical stability of triangular Ag nanoplates. A one-step water-based synthesis method regulated by the coordination of ligands to Ag cations was successfully employed to produce triangular Ag nanoplates with a high yield. The Ag nanoplates were irreversibly degraded when they were aged with poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) (PSS) at room temperature, and the corresponding localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) of the Ag nanoplates changed as well. In contrast, when the Ag nanoplates were aged with potassium persulfate (KPS), the shape evolution of Ag nanoplates was found to depend on the external temperature, and the Ag nanoplate solutions showed different final colors when different external temperatures were applied. These results exhibit important implications for the behavior of triangular Ag nanoplates in a wide variety of plasmonic applications and can be applied to the colorimetric sensing of the temperature history.