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Amalgamation based optical and colorimetric sensing of mercury(II) ions with silver@graphene oxide nanocomposite materials

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Abstract

The article describes a facile method for the preparation of a conjugate composed of silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide (Ag@GO) via chemical reduction of silver precursors in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) while sonicating the solution. The Ag@GO was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The nanocomposite undergoes a color change from yellow to colorless in presence of Hg(II), and this effect is based on the disappearance of the localized surface plasmon resonance absorption of the AgNPs due to the formation of silver-mercury amalgam. The presence of GO, on the other hand, prevents the agglomeration of the AgNPs and enhances the stability of the nanocomposite material in solution. Hence, the probe represents a viable optical probe for the determination of mercury(II) ions in that it can be used to visually detect Hg(II) concentrations as low as 100 μM. The instrumental LOD is 338 nM.

The mercury(II) ions interact with AgNP in Ag@GO nanocomposite and result in formation of AgHg amalgam. Therefore LSPR absorbance band of AgNPs starts to vanish. This mechanism can be used for developing a sensor for mercury(II) ions detection.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the High Impact Research Grant from the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (UM.C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/05) and University of Malaysia Research Grant, UMRG Programme (RP007C/13AFR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Khosro Zangeneh Kamali, Alagarsamy Pandikumar, Subramaniam Jayabal, Ramasamy Ramaraj & Nay Ming Huang

  2. Center for Photoelectrochemistry, School of Chemistry, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, 625021, India

    Ramasamy Ramaraj

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia

    Hong Ngee Lim

  4. Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Building, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Boon Hoong Ong

  5. NanoMalaysia Berhad, Hampshire Place Office, 157 Hampshire Place, No 1 Jalan Mayang Sari, 50450, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Chia Sheng Daniel Bien

  6. Advanced Analytical Lab, MIMOS Berhad, Technology Park Malaysia, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yeh Yee Kee

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  1. Khosro Zangeneh Kamali
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Zangeneh Kamali, K., Pandikumar, A., Jayabal, S. et al. Amalgamation based optical and colorimetric sensing of mercury(II) ions with silver@graphene oxide nanocomposite materials. Microchim Acta 183, 369–377 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1658-6

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