Dual-gated transistor platform for on-site detection of lead ions at trace levels

Venkatesh, S. et al. (2018) Dual-gated transistor platform for on-site detection of lead ions at trace levels. Analytical Chemistry, 90(12), pp. 7399-7405. (doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00841) (PMID:29812910)

Abstract

On-site monitoring of heavy metals in drinking water has become crucial because of several high profile instances of contamination. Presently, reliable techniques for trace level heavy metal detection are mostly laboratory based, while the detection limits of contemporary field-based methods are barely meeting the exposure limits set by regulatory bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Here, we show an on-site deployable, Pb2+ sensor on a dual-gated transistor platform whose lower detection limit is 2 orders of magnitude better than the traditional sensor and 1 order of magnitude lower than the exposure limit set by WHO. The enhanced sensitivity of our design is verified by numerically solving PNP (Planck–Nernst–Poisson) model. We demonstrate that the enhanced sensitivity is due to the suppression of ionic flux. The simplicity and the robustness of the design make it applicable for on-site screening, thereby facilitating rapid response to contamination events.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Research Grant Council of HKSAR Project number T42-103/16N.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Vellaisamy, Professor Roy
• Authors: Venkatesh, S., Li, T., Wang, X.-S., Yeung, C.-C., Pei, K., Sun, Q.-J., Wu, W., Li, R. K.Y., Lam, M. H.W., Chan, P. K.L., Wylie, J. J., and Roy, V. A.L.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
• Journal Name: Analytical Chemistry
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• ISSN: 0003-2700
• ISSN (Online): 1520-6882
• Published Online: 29 May 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 American Chemical Society
• First Published: First published in Analytical Chemistry 90(12):7399-7405
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy