Sensitive and selective detection of Ag+ in aqueous solutions using Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles as smart electrochemical nanosensors

Owing to the selective deposition reaction on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles, we reported a simple and selective magnetic electrochemical method for the detection of Ag+ ions in aqueous solutions. The analyte deposited on the nanoparticles was brought to the surface of a homemade magnetic electrode and detected electrochemically in 0.1 mol/L KCl solution based on the reaction of Ag0 transferred to AgCl. Under the optimal conditions, the linear response range of Ag+ ions was 0.117–17.7 μmol/L (R2=0.9909) with a detection limit of 59 nmol/L (S/N=3). A series of repeatability measurements 1.0 μmol/L Ag+ gave reproducible results with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.5% (n=11). The interference from other metal cations can be eliminated by adding EDTA as a co-additive to mask the metal cations. The recoveries ranging from 98.6% to 103.99% after standard additions demonstrate that this sensor has great potential in practical applications. The advantages of this developed method include remarkable simplicity, low cost, and no requirement for probe preparation, among others.