Chapter 15 - Polymer/metal/carbon-based hybrid materials for the detection of heavy metal ions

Abstract

Heavy metal ion contamination has continuously increased worldwide with increasing urbanization, industrialization, and population. This affects human health as well as the environment. Heavy metal ions are highly toxic and lead to severe health issues, including cancer. The detection of these heavy metal ions is necessary to effectively treat such pollutants from water bodies. Numerous detection methods such as electrochemical sensors, colorimetric sensors, fluorescent sensors, etc., have been used for the detection of heavy metal ions. However, the rapid detection, sensitivity, and selectivity of the sensors remain a concern. In this regard, various metal nanoparticles (NPs), carbon-based nanomaterials, polymeric composites, and hybrid materials have been extensively used for the detection of heavy metal ions. Among all of them, hybrid materials have the potential ability to easily detect heavy metal ions with the selectivity of metal ions. Moreover, hybrid materials have advantages over other materials such as easily tuned properties with changing the proportion of any constituent of hybrid materials. This chapter focuses on metal NPs, carbon nanomaterials, and metal-carbon-polymer-based hybrid materials for the detection of heavy metal ions. We also discuss the different detection processes such as an electrochemical sensor, a calorimetric sensor, and a fluorescence sensor as well as the prospects of metal-carbon-polymer-based hybrid materials.