Ag-loaded WS&lt

Abstract

The prompt detection of aqueous pollutants, with both high speed and precision, holds great significance due to the substantial threats they impose to human wellbeing and the environment. Lead and its derivatives exhibit a high level of toxicity, capable of inducing various ailments. Nevertheless, existing lead detection systems are suffer by several drawbacks, including sluggish response times, elevated cost, and a lack of mobility. Here, a sensor for highly sensitive, selective, and rapid detection of the trace amount of toxic Pb2+ ions was successfully developed using a tungsten disulfide (WS&lt

sub&gt

2&lt

/sub&gt

) functionalized interdigitated electrodes (IDEs). Pristine and Ag-loaded WS2 were synthesized via facile hydrothermal method. A series of characterizations are performed to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, and elemental composition of the synthesized materials. When exposed to 10 ppb of Pb2+ ion solution, pristine WS&lt

sub&gt

2&lt

/sub&gt

nanorods exhibited a 1.31 mA change in current, while at loading of 1% and 2% Ag further enhancements in Pb2+ ion sensitivity were observed. However, further increasing the Ag (4 wt%) loading on WS&lt

sub&gt

2&lt

/sub&gt

nanorods reduced the sensing response. The developed sensor was characterized by excellent sensitivity of 819 &amp

#x03BC

A/ppb and an impressive detection limit of 75 ppt. Additionally, the sensor showed a rapid response time of less than 5 s, rendering its suitability for real-time heavy metal ion detection applications. These exceptional performance position WS&lt

sub&gt

2&lt

/sub&gt

-based sensors as a strong candidate for practical deployment in environmental quality monitoring and toxic metal detection. IEEE