Enhanced electrochemical detection of heavy metals at heated graphite nanoparticle-based screen-printed electrodesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Figures of merit for carbon nanoparticle-based SPEs at room temperature for the Pb2+detection in seawater; TEM and SEM images of the graphite ink used for the development of the carbon nanoparticle-based SPE WE after heating at 40 °C; optimization of analytical parameters; calibration curves for carbon nanoparticle-based SPEs at room temperature for single and multiple detection of heavy metals; microanalysis of the different areas of a carbon nanoparticle-based SPE after deposition of heavy metals at room temperature; effect of the temperature on heavy metal detection using carbon microparticle SPEs; long-term stability for carbon nanoparticle-based SPEs in seawater at room temperature. See DOI: 10.1039/c0jm03751f/

The effect of temperature upon the electrochemical stripping performance of a heavy metal sensor based on carbon nanoparticles is studied. The morphological changes of the sensing surface during the multidetection of Cd2+, Pb2+, Cu2+and Hg2+ions are studied by TEM and SEM. The effect of the temperature on the heavy metal deposition using carbon nanoparticle-based SPEs is also compared to a sensor that does not contain carbon nanoparticles. The effect of temperature seems to be more pronounced for the nanoparticle-based sensor. This phenomenon is clarified by the electrochemical response as well as the TEM and SEM images of the sensing materials used. In addition, the response performance of the nanoparticle-based sensors for increasing concentrations of heavy metals from 5–100 μg L−1for Cd2+, Pb2+and Cu2+and from 1 to 10 μg L−1for Hg2+, in both single and multiple detections with potential for real applications, is presented. The nanoparticle-based sensor seems to be stable for up to one month while being used in continuous monitoring of heavy metals in seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]