Mentha-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles for High-Performance Colorimetric Detection of Al(III) in Aqueous Systems

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Metal ion detection is crucial for environmental monitoring and public health.
• Conventional methods for metal ion detection can be complex and costly.
• Developing rapid, selective, and sensitive detection methods is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile and selective colorimetric method for detecting hazardous metal ions.
• To utilize green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for this detection.
• To specifically target aluminum ions (Al(III)) using AgNPs derived from Mentha arvensis extract.

Main Methods:

• Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Mentha arvensis leaf extract as reductant and stabilizer.
• Characterization of AgNPs using UV-vis, XPS, FTIR, TEM, EDX, SEM, AAS, and TGA.
• Colorimetric detection of Al(III) based on the interaction between AgNPs and the analyte.
• Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis to confirm selectivity for Al(III).

Main Results:

• AgNPs synthesized at 80°C showed excellent selective colorimetric detection of Al(III).
• The detection mechanism involves binding of Al(III) to organic functional groups on AgNPs.
• The sensor demonstrated high selectivity for Al(III) with a regression coefficient (R²) of 0.99.
• A low limit of detection (LOD) of 1 nM for Al(III) was achieved in real water samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a simple, selective, and sensitive approach for Al(III) detection.
• Green synthesized AgNPs serve as an effective platform for environmental sensing.
• The method is suitable for detecting Al(III) in drinking and real water samples at nanomolar concentrations.