Quantum Dots as a Fluorescent Sensor for Detecting Heavy Metal Ions in Aqueous Environment: An Overview
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are negatively impacted by pollution from heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and other hazardous synthetic compounds. Furthermore, the contaminated water becomes unsuitable for human consumption or contact. Heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, nickel, mercury, chromium, zinc, lead, and others are posing serious health risks. Many materials have been reported for use in sensing applications in water samples, including metallic nanoparticles, semiconductor oxides, composites, polymers, and metal-organic frameworks. These materials rely on a variety of transduction techniques, such as absorbance, fluorescence, Raman, colorimetric, voltammetry, and Plasmon resonance. Due to their exceptional qualities, quantum dots (QDs) have recently garnered significant attention as fluorescent, tiny carbonaceous nanostructures suitable for the construction of heavy metal sensing devices, either in their original form or through modification. In the past few years, QDs have become widely recognized as environmentally friendly adsorbents for a variety of water pollutants, especially toxic metals. Their tremendous area of contact and highly efficient exterior features allow for the effective absorption of heavy elements. This article delivers an overview of QDs and their basic characteristics. It subsequently goes into detail about how they are used in metal ion monitoring and illustrates their associated procedures. At last, it deals with a number of the present difficulties and suggests hope for the upcoming development.