Nanocomposite as Visible Sensing Platform for Hg2

Abstract

Owing to their detection performance without the use of any instruments, visual sensing based on gold nanoparticles has become important and attractive for a wide range of applications in various fields, especially in sensing systems. In this study, a novel visual sensing platform for the detection of mercury (II) ion (Hg2+) was developed by using a graphene quantum dots functionalized gold nanoparticles nanocomposite system. To achieve the goal of selective, sensitive, and rapid sensing of Hg2+, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were combined with graphene quantum dots (GQDs). GQDs was assembled on AuNPs due to the strong interaction with the terminal amino groups of GQDs. A new procedure for the selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+ has been unveiled based on the prevention of aggregation of AuNPs functionalized with GQDs in the presence of analytes (i.e. Hg2+).