In-situ silver nanoparticles formation on garlic peel (AgNPs@GP): A sustainable sensing probe for Hg(II)

The pervasive contamination of aquatic environments by heavy metals, particularly mercury ions (Hg²⁺), poses a severe threat to public health and global ecosystems. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of rapid, reliable, and, crucially, environmentally sustainable detection methods that minimize resource consumption. This study addresses this gap by aiming to fabricate a novel, cost-effective sensing probe based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) supported by agricultural waste. The primary objective was to utilize waste garlic peel (GP) as a dual-functional material, a reducing agent for AgNPs and a sustainable support matrix to fabricate AgNPs@GP as an effective colorimetric sensing probe for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺ in wastewater. The AgNPs@GP composite was synthesized via an in-situ simple and eco-friendly protocol. The fabricated probe underwent comprehensive characterization to confirm its structural integrity and stability. UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed the successful formation of AgNPs via their characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak at 424 nm, while Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the involvement of functional groups from the GP matrix in nanoparticle stabilization. Morphological and elemental analyses by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed the uniform and high-density distribution of AgNPs having the size of 50 nm across the porous GP surface. The AgNPs@GP probe exhibited its potential for the colorimetric detection Hg²⁺ ions in water sample. The developed AgNPs@GP composite could provide a promising and practical platform for real-time monitoring of heavy metals, significantly contributing to sustainable environmental and water quality assessment efforts.

• Supervision