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In situ plasmonic & electrochemical fiber-optic sensor for multi-metal-ions detection

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Abstract

High precision and high throughput detection of heavy metal ions is essential for water quality monitoring and assessment. Herein, we propose a plasmonic & electrochemical dual-mode fiber sensing probe for label-free and real-time detection of multiple ions (Pb2+ and Cu2+ as examples). This sensor comprises a multimode fiber-single mode fiber reflection probe, the outer surface of which is coated with a gold nanofilm to excite the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optically and simultaneously serves as an electrochemical working electrode. In traditional electrochemical detection, the enrichment of ions cannot be detected in real-time. However, by utilizing the plasmonic & electrochemical dual-mode detection method, various kinds of metal ions can be deposited onto the gold nanofilm and selectively oxidized during forward potential scanning, and the entire electrochemical process can be monitored by SPR measurement. We experimentally demonstrate that the sensor can simultaneously detect Pb2+ and Cu2+ in a mixed solution in real-time, providing a linear response over the ion concentration range from 10−12 to 10−7 M and offering an excellent detection limit (1.69×10−14–5.49×10−13 M). The proposed dual-mode fiber sensor has the benefits of remote sensing, compact footprint, and cost-effectiveness and shows excellent potential for water quality risk management in difficult-to-reach environments.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 62035006, 61975068, 62005101, 61827819), Guangdong Outstanding Scientific Innovation Foundation (Grant No. 2019TX05X383), Program of Marine Economy Development Special Fund under Department of Natural Resources of Guangdong Province (Grant No. GDNRC [2023]23), Local Innovative and Research Teams Project of Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program (Grant No. 2019BT02X105), Research Fund of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Technology (Grant No. 2020B1212030010), Project of Scientific and Technological Development Plan of Jilin Province (Grant No. 20220508130RC), and Open Fund of Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communication Technology.

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Author notes

  1. Peng X L and Yang Z Y have the same contribution to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China

    Xiaoling Peng, Zhiyong Yang, Zhi Li, Zhicong Ren, Xicheng Wang, Jiahai Li, Zhencheng Li, Liang Chen, Daotong You & Tuan Guo

  2. School of Computer Science and Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, 999078, China

    Xiaoling Peng & Jianqing Li

  3. Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China

    Bo Peng

  4. Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China

    Kaiwei Li

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  1. Xiaoling Peng
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  2. Zhiyong Yang
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  3. Bo Peng
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  4. Zhi Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bo Peng, Kaiwei Li, Jianqing Li or Tuan Guo.

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Peng, X., Yang, Z., Peng, B. et al. In situ plasmonic & electrochemical fiber-optic sensor for multi-metal-ions detection. Sci. China Inf. Sci. 67, 112406 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11432-023-3746-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11432-023-3746-8

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