Issue 18, 2014

Real-time detection of metal ions using conjugated polymer composite papers

Abstract

Cellulose, a natural polymeric material, has widespread technical applications because of its inherent structural rigidity and high surface area. As a conjugated polymer, polypyrrole shows practical potential for a diverse and promising range of future technologies. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for the real-time detection and removal of metal ions with polypyrrole/cellulose (PPCL) composite papers in solution. Simply, the conjugated polymer papers had different chemical/physical properties by applying different potentials to them, which resulted in differentiable response patterns and adsorption efficiencies for individual metal ions. First, large-area PPCL papers with a diameter of 5 cm were readily obtained via vapor deposition polymerization. The papers exhibited both mechanical flexibility and robustness, in which polypyrrole retained its redox property perfectly. The ability of the PPCL papers to recognize metal ions was examined in static and flow cells, in which real-time current change was monitored at five different applied potentials (+1, +0.5, 0, −0.5, and −1 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Distinguishable signals in the PPCL paper responses were observed for individual metal ions through principal component analysis. Particularly, the PPCL papers yielded unique signatures for three metal ions, Hg(II), Ag(I), and Cr(III), even in a real sample, groundwater. The sorption of metal ions by PPCL papers was examined in the flow system. The PPCL papers had a greatly superior adsorption efficiency for Hg(II) compared to that of the other metal ions. With the strong demand for the development of inexpensive, flexible, light-weight, and environmentally friendly devices, the fascinating characteristics of these PPCL papers are likely to provide good opportunities for low-cost paper-based flexible or wearable devices.

Graphical abstract: Real-time detection of metal ions using conjugated polymer composite papers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 May 2014
Accepted
26 Jun 2014
First published
28 Jul 2014

Analyst, 2014,139, 4466-4475

Real-time detection of metal ions using conjugated polymer composite papers

J. E. Lee, H. W. Shim, O. S. Kwon, Y. Huh and H. Yoon, Analyst, 2014, 139, 4466 DOI: 10.1039/C4AN00804A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements