Nanocrystalline cellulose mediated seed-growth for ultra-robust colorimetric detection of hydrogen sulfide

We describe an ultra-stable, ultra-robust, straightforward and low-cost approach for the colorimetric detection of H₂S with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) based on the reaction of H₂S with lead acetate. The presence of NCC not only mediates the seed growth of a PbS/NCC complex, but also acts as a stabilizer protecting PbS from precipitation. This stable system is so robust that it can be used to quantitatively detect H₂S even after two-year storage.