Work

A Multichannel Solid-State Potentiometric Sensor Array for Heavy Metal Ions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Heavy metal ions are common environmental contaminants that threaten aquatic ecosystems and human health. However, conventional analytical techniques often require expensive instrumentation and complex sample pretreatment. This work presents a peptide-based multichannel solid-state potentiometric microelectrode array for simultaneous detection of Cu2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+. The array consists of one shared Ag/AgCl reference electrode and three groups of gold indicator microelectrodes (10 μm in diameter), with each group containing three parallel electrodes for replicate measurements. Each group is functionalized with a distinct peptide receptor specific to one target metal ion. The proposed array exhibits near-Nernstian responses and good selectivity against common interfering ions. Practical applicability is demonstrated by analyzing spiked lake water samples under a fixed chloride condition, with recoveries ranging from 94% to 105%. This work provides a miniaturized, reproducible, and versatile platform for simultaneous potentiometric detection of multiple heavy metal ions, and the peptide-based recognition strategy can be extended to other targets by simply replacing the peptide sequences.

Source: Sensors

DOI: 10.3390/s26103003

Authors: Zongfeng Wei, Guanliang Li, Zhuqing Wang, Shicai Xu, Enguang Lv, Weiwei Yue

Institutions: Shandong Normal University, Dezhou University

Language: English

Topic: Analytical Chemistry and Sensors

Subfield: Bioengineering

Field: Chemical Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137