Lanthanide-Based Single-Chain Nanoparticles as "Visual" Pass/Fail Sensors of Maximum Permissible Concentration of Cu 2+ Ions in Drinking Water

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 45; no. 14; p. e2400116
• Main Authors: Pinacho-Olaciregui, Jokin, Verde-Sesto, Ester, Taton, Daniel, Pomposo, José A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Copper - analysis; Copper - chemistry; Drinking Water - analysis; Drinking Water - chemistry; Ions - analysis; Ions - chemistry; Lanthanoid Series Elements - chemistry; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Ultraviolet Rays; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; environmental sensors; single‐chain nanoparticles (SCNPs); lanthanide complexes; Cu2+ ions
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400116

The maximum permissible concentration (m.p.c.) of Cu ions in drinking water, as set by the World Health Organization (WHO) is m.p.c. (Cu ) = 30 × 10  m, whereas the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes a more restrictive value of m.p.c. (Cu ) = 20 × 10  m. Herein, for the first time ever, a family of m.p.c. (Cu ) "visual" pass/fail sensors is developed based on water-soluble lanthanide-containing single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) exhibiting an average hydrodynamic diameter less than 10 nm. Both europium (Eu)- and terbium (Tb)-based SCNPs allow excessive Cu to be readily detected in water, as indicated by the red-to-transparent and green-to-transparent changes, respectively, under UV light irradiation, occurring at 30 × 10  m Cu in both cases. Complementary, dysprosium (Dy)-based SCNPs show a yellow color-to-transparent transition under UV light irradiation at ≈15 × 10  m Cu . Eu-, Tb-, and Dy-containing SCNPs prove to be selective for Cu ions as they do not respond against other metal ions, such as Fe , Ag , Co , Ba , Ni , Hg , Pb , Zn , Fe , Ca , Mn , Mg , or Cr . These new m.p.c. (Cu ) "visual" pass/fail sensors are thoroughly characterized by a combination of techniques, including size exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, as well as infrared, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopy.