Green silver-nanoparticle-based dual sensor for toxic Hg(II) ions

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are valuable for sensing applications.
• Green synthesis methods are preferred for environmental sustainability.
• Mercury (Hg(II)) is a toxic heavy metal requiring sensitive detection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To utilize green silver nanoparticles from Agaricus bisporus (AgNP-AB) for sensing Hg(II) ions.
• To investigate both optical and electrochemical sensing behaviors of AgNP-AB.
• To develop a simple, modifier-free sensing system.

Main Methods:

• Microwave-assisted synthesis of AgNP-AB.
• Characterization of synthesized AgNP-AB using various techniques.
• Optical sensing via color change upon Hg(II) addition.
• Electrochemical sensing using an AgNP-AB modified platinum electrode (AgNP-AB/PE).

Main Results:

• AgNP-AB aggregated and changed color from brown to black upon interaction with Hg(II) ions.
• An AgNP-AB/PE sensor demonstrated fast detection of Hg(II) ions.
• The sensor achieved a limit of detection of 2.1 × 10⁻⁶ M for Hg(II).
• The system showed high sensitivity and selectivity towards Hg(II) ions over other metal ions.
• Successful validation using real water samples from Vembanade Lake.

Conclusions:

• Green AgNP-AB synthesized via microwave irradiation is effective for Hg(II) ion sensing.
• The developed optical and electrochemical methods are simple and do not require sophisticated instrumentation.
• AgNP-AB shows significant potential for environmental applications, particularly in water quality monitoring.