Synthesised Noble Metal Nanoparticle-Based Hydrogels for Colorimetric Detection of Heavy Metals.

Abstract

Heavy metal detection in diverse environmental and biological samples has received a lot of academic attention in recent years because of their hazardous nature and negative impacts on human health. Many analytical techniques have been developed for the identification of heavy metals, including colorimetric approaches that are simple, cost-effective, and highly sensitive. In this study, we present the synthesis and characterisation of novel noble metal nanoparticle-based hydrogel composite materials for heavy metal detection using colorimetry.

The hydrogel composites were prepared by incorporating noble metal nanoparticles, such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), and platinum (Pt), into a polymeric network. Various metal precursors and reducing agents were utilized to form the noble metal nanoparticles within the hydrogel matrix. The resulting materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate their morphology, crystal structure, and chemical composition.