Graphene Aerogel–Metal–Organic Framework-Based Electrochemical Method for Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Heavy-Metal Ions

Abstract

The development of an effective method for detecting heavy-metal ions remains a serious task because of their high toxicity to public health and environments. Herein, a new electrochemical method based on a graphene aerogel (GA) and metal-organic framework (MOF) composites was developed for simultaneous detection of multiple heavy-metal ions in aqueous solutions. The GA-MOF composites were synthesized via the in situ growth of the MOF UiO-66-NH₂ crystal on the GA matrix. GA not only serves as the backbone for UiO-66-NH₂ but also enhances the conductivity of the composites by accelerating the electron transfer in the matrix. UiO-66-NH₂ worked as a binding site for heavy-metal ions because of the interaction between hydrophilic groups and metal cations. The detection performance of the GA-UiO-66-NH₂ composite-modified electrodes was determined. The developed electrochemical method can be successfully applied for individual and simultaneous detection of heavy-metal ions, namely, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺,and Hg²⁺, in aqueous solutions with high sensitivity and selectivity. The method can also be used for simultaneous detection of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺ in river water and the leaching solutions of soil and vegetable with high accuracy and reliability. This work provides a new approach for simultaneous detection of multiple heavy-metal ions in practical applications.