One-Pot Synthesis of Xanthate-Functionalized Cellulose for the Detection of Micromolar Copper(II) and Nickel(II) Ions

Greis, K; Bethke, K; Stückrath, JB; Ingber, TTK; Valiyaveettil, S; Rademann, K

Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

A one-pot synthesis and application of cellulose-based sensors to efficientlydetect various toxic metal ions in aqueous solutions in micromolar quantitiesis reported. Cellulose microfibers have been functionalized with carbondisulfide in alkaline solution to form cellulose xanthate. The material detectsseveral toxic metal ions such as copper, nickel, or cobalt ions through colorchange detectable by the naked eye. The optical sensor can be used as anideal flash test for assessing the quality of drinking water.