Fabric/multi-walled carbon nanotube sensor for portable on-site copper detection in water

Excessive copper (as Cu(II)) in drinking water—in place through mining, farming, manufacturing operations, and municipal or industrial wastewater releases—can be a threat to human health and ecosystem wellbeing. Some sources of drinking water are remote; hence, the sensitive, selective, and portable detection of contaminated copper in drinking water sources is of great importance. Through this work, a portable fabric amperometric nanosensor has been devised via a simple dip-coating method, which is able to rapidly, sensitively, and selectively detect Cu(II) ions in a range of 0.65 to 39 ppm in real time. The prepared Cu(II) nanosensor, which operates under a low voltage, consists of three layers: electrospun nylon-6 nanofibers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and 2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene molecules. Potential interfering metal ions, including Cd(II), Fe(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), and Ag(I) ions, have no significant influence on the response of the Cu(II) nanosensor. This fabric sensor—that is able to be placed in your pocket and carried about—is more portable than current technologies, while being able to detect Cu(II) on the same level necessary for potable water. We anticipate our nanosensor to be a starting point for more sophisticated and comprehensive heavy metal assay. Furthermore, this nanosensor will aid in on-site detection of Cu(II) in potential drinking water sources, lending itself well to third world and remote detection. Graphical abstract A polymer nanocomposite sensor has been developed for the sensitive and selective detection of copper in water.