Highly fluorescent hematoporphyrin modified graphene oxide for selective detection of copper ions in aqueous solutions

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 1140; pp. 111 - 121
• Main Authors: Awad, Fathi S., AbouZied, Khaled M., Bakry, Ayyob M., Abou El-Maaty, Weam M., El-Wakil, Ahmad M., El-Shall, M. Samy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.12.2020
• Subjects: Copper; Detection; Esterification; Fluorescence; Graphene oxide; Hematoporphyrin; Modification; Sensor; Modification; Fluorescence; Graphene oxide; Detection; Copper; Hematoporphyrin; Esterification; Sensor
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.10.016

Here, a highly sensitive and selective copper ion (Cu2+) fluorescence sensor is reported. The Hematoporphyrin functionalized Graphene Oxide (HP-GO) fluorescence sensor were synthesized via esterification reaction between Graphene Oxide and Hematoporphyrin (HP). The HP-GO sensor was fully characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electrom Microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fluor meter spectroscopy, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and Raman spectroscopy measurements. The HP-GO sensor advertised two linear regions over the range of 0–1.18 × 103 nM and 3.93 × 103 to 47.27 nM of copper (II) with detection limit of 54 nM in the aqueous solution. The selectivity of HP-GO for Cu2+ is much higher than that of other metal ions due to the presence of aza macrocyclic ring on the surface of HP-GO which has a high binding affinity with Cu2+. Additionally, the HP-GO shows wide pH viable range (pH 6–10). The effect of other metal ions on the fluorescence intensity of the HP-GO was also studied and other metal ions show a low interference response in the detection of Cu2+. HP-GO sensor manifests advantages of high reproducibility (The quenched fluorescence of HP/GO-Cu can be recovered by EDTA), attractive long term fluorescence stability (>21 days) in water, also remarkable selectivity regarding number of metal ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, Al3+, Pb2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cr6+, Cd2+, Hg2+, and Zn2+), low toxicity and can detect Cu2+ in real water samples which acquire well for its promising in environmental applications. [Display omitted] •Hematoporphyrin modified graphene oxide (HP-GO) was synthesized as an efficient optical fluorescence sensor.•The HP-GO was used as a very effective fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+.•The HP-GO sensor displayed attractive long term fluorescence stability ( > 21 days ) in water.•The HP-GO sensor has been applied successfully for real water sample analysis.