Sensing of Metal Ions using Gold Nanoparticles

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Pollution is an undesirable change in the general and specific characteristics of the environment; can be physical, chemical or biological and take place in the air, water and soil; they have a different impact on the health and activities of humans and living organisms, as well as deteriorate the environment that cause an imbalance. Heavy metals are among the most important pollutants in surface and groundwater. They are extremely toxic elements, which can seriously damage flora and fauna, causing serious disruption to ecosystems. Therefore the prompt detection and elimination of these wastewater pollutants is important to protect the health of living organisms as well as humans. Techniques have been used to detect heavy methods involving analytical techniques and spectrophotometric methods using chromophores. Most of these chromophores are soluble in organic compounds, which limits their application. So the use of a visual detection technique would be relevant. Currently, nanostructured metallic materials, and in particular the nanoparticles of noble metals (gold and silver) have optimal characteristics to be used as functional materials with excellent physicochemical properties for detecting of metal ions and other organic and inorganic substances that pollute the water. That is why, in this research work, it is proposed to use gold nanoparticles in liquid pase and bio-nanocomposites, obtained by bio-synthesis for the detection of toxic metal ions.

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