Radiation Preparation of Conducting Nanocomposite Membrane Based on (Copper/Polyacrylic Acid/Poly Vinyl Alcohol) for Rapid Colorimetric Sensor of Mercury and Silver Ions

Abstract

In this study, poly acrylic acid/poly vinyl alcohol capped copper as nanocomposite membrane Cu–(PAAc/PVA) has been prepared using gamma radiation. Aqueous solution of 0.2 mol Cu2+ ions chemically reduction using ascorbic acid and PAAc/PVA as stabilizer. Cu2+ ions could be deposited uniformly on the matrix network of PAAc/PVA membrane. The resulting Cu–(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposites membrane exhibited rapid colorimetric detection of mercury and silver ions associated with notable color changes of the membrane from yellow to pale gray and dark green, respectively. A novel label colorimetric sensor membrane Cu–(PAAc/PVA) has been developed for sensitive detection of Hg2+, Ag+ ions basis of the UV spectrophotometer data. A detection limit as low as 10−5 and 10−6 M of Hg2+ and Ag+ ions was achieved. This article proved that the Cu–(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposites membrane is exhibited excellent selectivity toward Hg2+, Ag+ ions. The advantages to the determination of Hg2+, Ag+ ions using Cu(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposite membrane is simple, low cost, rapid and easy observation by naked eye, the developed Cu–(PAAc/PVA) colorimetric membrane candidate for the detection of toxic Hg2+, Ag+ ions in environmental and biological samples. The particles size of synthesized Cu was performed using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that Cu nanoparticles of size 8 nm are formed by green method. Absorption spectra of Cu nanoparticles deposited in PAAc/PVA at 591 nm confirm the capped of Cu nanoparticles inside PAAc/PVA matrices. The synthesized Cu nanocomposite has been found to be more AC conducting at low frequency than Hg and Ag nanoparticles. The increasing increase in conductivity of membrane can be correlated due to the formation of localized electronic states in polymer matrix due to insertion of Cu nanoparticles.