Selective Lead Ion Sensor Based on the CuO Nanoshuttles

Abstract

In this research work, CuO nanoshuttles like nanostructures are synthesized by hydrothermal method using polyvinyl alcohol surfactant and the structural characterisation was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The structural studies showed the high yield of the CuO nanostructures on the substrate and also exhibit good crystal quality. Moreover, CuO nanoshuttles like nanostructures were utilized for the development of lead ion sensor electrode and the sensor electrode has shown the linear potentiometric response for the lead ions over the wide range of 5 x 10(-6) M-1 x 10(-1) M with a Nernstian slope of 31 mV/decade. The advantageous features of the proposed sensor electrode include high selectivity, repeatability, low limit of detection (1 x 10(-7) M) and a fast response time of less than 10 s, good stability, and the reproducibility. The CuO nanoshuttles based lead ion sensor electrode was used as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of lead ions against the etthylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). All the obtained results indicate that the presented lead ion sensor may have a good potential for its utilization in the real sample analysis.