title: Aligned nanogold assisted one step sensing and removal of heavy metal ions.
abstract: We depict a novel strategy exploiting the chemistry of metal ion adsorption for detection and sequestration of toxic heavy metal from processed water using gold nanoparticles capped with 4-aminothiophenol. The interaction between 4-aminothiophenol capped gold nanoparticles and heavy metal ions was studied as a function of time and concentration using TEM, HRTEM, SEM, EDS, and I-V characterization. Experiments confirmed that pH is one of the crucial controlling parameters. Adsorption capacity was monitored using AAS, UV-vis spectroscopy and I-V measurement. In the absence of any alloy formation between Au and heavy metal ions, the desorption of the heavy metal ions from 4-aminothiophenol capped gold nanoparticles surface by pH modulation serves as a mean of collection of heavy metal ions. Experiments revealed that the concentration of heavy metal ions in processed water after adsorption is below the maximum permissible limit set by the WHO.
authors.affiliation: National Physical Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi 110 012, India.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Nahar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Sukhvir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Saikh S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Kedar N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pasricha