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Detection of low-level humic acid in water using room temperature-synthesized copper (I) oxide colloids

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Abstract

A glucose-reduced, room temperature-synthesized colloidal Cu2O solution (CCS) was used for the first time to detect humic acid (HA), a carcinogen-promoting substance in aqueous solution. The CCS sensor was characterized using standard spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. The sensor evolved as a carboxylic acid-capped peach-pink solution after synthesis. The result of the interaction of the sensor with HA in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7) showed a detection limit of 1.5891 × 10−2 mg/L over a concentration range of 0.00–0.41 mg/L. This finding suggests that the sensor may be useful for monitoring low levels of HA in aqueous environments.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS) of the University of South Africa (UNISA) for the resource and financial supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit (NanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA), 60 Christian De Wet Street, P.O. Box 2820, Roodepoort, Florida, South Africa

    Olayemi J. Fakayode, Abolanle S. Adekunle & Thabo T. I. Nkambule

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan RoadIle-Ife, Osun, 220005, Nigeria

    Abolanle S. Adekunle

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  1. Olayemi J. Fakayode
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  2. Abolanle S. Adekunle
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Correspondence to Olayemi J. Fakayode.

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Fakayode, O.J., Adekunle, A.S. & Nkambule, T.T.I. Detection of low-level humic acid in water using room temperature-synthesized copper (I) oxide colloids. MRS Communications 9, 1317–1322 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2019.128

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