Bismuth-MXene nanocomposite: A low-cost portable solution for zinc (II) detection in water for safer environmental monitoring

The development of a portable and cost-effective sensor for detecting zinc ions (Zn (II)) in water addresses a crucial need for real-time monitoring of heavy metal environmental contamination. To this, here, a novel bismuth-MXene (Bi₂S₃-MXene) nanocomposite-based sensor is developed for the rapid and selective detection of Zn (II) ions with a simple procedure. The exceptionally selective nanocomposites were capable of detecting Zn (II) through the square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) technique in a linearity range of up to 3 µg/mL, achieving limit of detection (LOD) of 7 ng/mL and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 22 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient of R² =0.9825. Subsequently, the content of Zn (II) in real tap water and sea water was successfully determined for sensitivity and practical applicability. The developed sensor demonstrated several advantages for detecting Zn (II) in water, including a rapid setup process, fast detection times, high sensitivity, more selectivity and portability. While this study focuses on Zn (II) detection, the developed platform suggests it could potentially be adapted for detecting other heavy metals in future research. This work broadens the potential applications of portable nanomaterial-based sensors for regular environmental monitoring.