Electrochemical sensing of heavy metal ions with inorganic, organic and bio-materials

As heavy metal ions severely harm human health, it is important to develop simple, sensitive and accurate methods for their detection in environment and food. Electrochemical detection featured with short analytical time, low power cost, high sensitivity and easy adaptability for in-situ measurement is one of the most developed methods. This review introduces briefly the recent achievements in electrochemical sensing of heavy metal ions with inorganic, organic and bio-materials modified electrodes. In particular, the unique properties of inorganic nanomaterials, organic small molecules or their polymers, enzymes and nucleic acids for detection of heavy metal ions are highlighted. By employing some representative examples, the design and sensing mechanisms of these electrodes are discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.