Commercially available silica nanoparticles were functionalized with mixtures of triethoxysilane derivatives of fluorescent dyes and of ligands capable of metal ion binding.  Titration of metal ion solutions containing Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ caused quenching of nearby fluorescent sites on the surface. Varying the ligand to dye ratios affected dispersability of the nanoparticles and changed the fluorescence signal intensity and metal ion detection limit. Synthesis of new ligands to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the fluorescent sensors is currently in progress.

Surface modified silica nanoparticles as fluorescent chemosensors for metal ions detection

248th National Meeting (2014)

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