Atomically thin bismuthene nanosheets for sensitive electrochemical determination of heavy metal ions

Developing effective electrocatalysts to achieve highly sensitive and selective detection of heavy metal ions is one of the challenges in the field of environmental monitoring. Herein, bismuth (Bi) metallene (Bi-ene) in atomic thickness is successfully synthesized and applied as a conceptual application in electrochemical sensors for the detection of lead ion (Pb²⁺) and cadmium ion (Cd²⁺) both individually and simultaneously, exhibiting superior sensitivity and anti-interference performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the Bi-ene has a stronger adsorption capability for Pb and Cd than that of Bi nanosheets (Bi-NSs). This work not only achieves Bi-ene-based catalytic signal amplification for sensitive detection of heavy metal ions but also holds promising application of atomic scale materials in environmental monitoring.