Advancements in electrochemical sensingTechnology for Heavy Metal Ions Detection

Abstract

Most heavy metal ions are carcinogenic and non-biodegradable, posing threats to ecological balance and human health in trace amount. Therefore, there is a pressing demand for rapid and dependable detection technologies. Electrochemical sensing technology distinguishes itself with its ease of use and swiftness, rendering it perfect for the expeditious detection of heavy metal elements. This review examines various electrochemical detection techniques for on-site real-time monitoring of heavy metal ions. Advanced methods using innovative electrochemical sensor technologies are explored, highlighting the importance of sensing strategies for the quick and easy monitoring of metal levels in different environments. Additionally, the role of nanotechnology and electrochemical techniques in enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity of sensors for better detection of heavy metals is discussed. Finally, the future direction of sensor development is addressed, focusing on integrating new materials and technologies to improve the performance of sensor in environmental monitoring, food safety and public health.

Keywords: Electrochemical sensing detection; Heavy metal ions; Nanomaterial; Sensing strategy.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

(a) An electrosynthesised ion imprinted polymeric sensor for the detection of Cu(II) (Khairnar, Jirimali, Patil, & Gite, 2020). Copyright 2020, Elsevier. (b) Illustration of the chemical structure of IIP (Coelho et al., 2017). Copyright 2021, Elsevier. (c) Nano-structured Cr(III)-imprinted sensing platform for the detection of Cr(III) (Hu, Sedki, Shen, Mulchandani, & Gao, 2021). Copyright 2017, Elsevier.

Fig. 2

(a) Manufacturing procedure of bulk electrodes for MoS₂-modified screen printed sensor (Neethipathi, Beniwal, Bass, Scott, & Dahiya, 2023). Copyright 2023, IEEE Xplore. (b) The fabrication process of the disposable and flexible electrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of Cd(II) and Pb(II) (Li, Zhang, & Li, 2025). Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (c) The electrode fabrication, detection mechanism and sensing process of electrochemical sensor (Jiang et al., 2020). Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society. (d) System design of the fully integrated battery-free and flexible electrochemical tag (Xu et al., 2020). Copyright 2020, Elsevier.

Fig. 3

(a) The fabrication process of paper-based analytical devices (Kamel et al., 2021). Copyright 2013, Elsevier. (b) The electrochemical sensor fabrication on plastic film or paper (Medina-Sanchez, Cadevall, Ros, & Merkoci, 2015). Copyright 2015, Elsevier.

Fig. 4

(a) Embedded Au nanoparticles-based ratiometric electrochemical sensing strategy for the detection of copper ions (Ruecha et al., 2015). Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. (b) The ratiometric electrochemical sensor for the detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) (Zhou et al., 2021). Copyright 2020, American Chemical Society. (c) The DNAzyme-based dual-signal ratiometric electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Pb(II) (Yang et al., 2024). Copyright 2018, Elsevier.

Fig. 5

(a) Fluorescent and electrochemical Pb(II) sensor based on 2D-MOF nanosheets (Wang et al., 2022). Copyright 2021, Elsevier. (b) Fluorescence and electrochemistry dual-modal sensor for detection of Cd(II) and Pb(II) (Erdemir et al., 2023). Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (c) Optical–electrochemical method of detecting Hg(II) and Cu(II) (Chaiyo, Apiluk, Siangproh, & Chailapakul, 2016). Copyright 2023, Elsevier. (d) Dual electrochemical and colorimetric detection of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) (Cui, Ren, Song, & Ren, 2022). Copyright 2016, Elsevier.

Fig. 6

(a) The three-dimensional model and the analysis process of MESC (Hossain, Karim, Seo, Park, & Shim, 2023). Copyright 2021, Elsevier. (b) A disposable microfluidic channel sensor for the detection of Cu(II), Cd(II), Hg(II) and Pb(II) (Giménez-Gómez, Baldi, Ayora, & Fernandez-Sanchez, 2019b). Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society. (c) Design of the microfluidic system (Dong et al., 2016). Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. (d) The microfluidic devices with the SPE (Liang et al., 2021). Copyright 2016, American Chemical Society.

Fig. 7

(A) Flexible integrated MoS₂ chemical sensor arrays fabrication processes (Zhang et al., 2024). Copyright 2019, Elsevier. (B) The fabrication process of the microfluidic device and the electrochemical sensing Cu(II) (Hu et al., 2024). Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (C) μPAD with IIPs for the detection of Cd(II) (P. Pathak, H.J. Cho, Graphene Oxide-Chitosan Composite-Based Flexible Electrochemical Sensors for Lead ION Detection, 2021). Copyright 2024, Royal Society of Chemistry.