Lead ions (Pb2+) released into the environment as a result of industrial emissions which can accumulate in the human body and cause a long-lasting danger to human health. Creating a sensitive and selective method that can provide simple, portable and fast determination of levels of Pb2+ is especially important. This work responds to these challenges by fabricating an Au nanoparticle immobilized nano-fiber/net (NFN) membranes optimized to exhibit colorimetric response to trace Pb2+ ions. The novel NFN structured substrate comprising common electrospun nanofibers and two-dimensional spider-web-like nanonets fabricated by a facile electro-spinning/netting process (figure 1a). The ultrafine nanonets with an average diameter of 18 nm were one order of magnitude thinner than that of common electrospun nanofibers, which enable the membranes with large surface area, high porosity and large stacking density, finally boosting the sensing performance. This sensor shows vivid colorimetric response specifically to Pb2+ ions (red to white) over other possible interfering metal cations and achieves a low detection limit of 0.2 �M observing by the naked eye (figure 1b), which was obvious less than the blood lead standard (0.48 �M) of lead poisoning. Furthermore, the sensitivity of NFN membrane based sensors was 15 times higher than that of commercial porous films-based ones, which suggests a promising method allow for assaying of Pb2+ in human urine or blood as determination of lead poisoning.

Highly sensitive colorimetric detection of lead (II) using Au nanoparticles immobilized nano-fiber/net membranes

247th National Meeting (2014)

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