Equipment-free and visual detection of Pb2+ ion based on curcumin-modified bacterial cellulose nanofiber

In the present study, a novel colorimetric sensor was designed based on the curcumin embedded in bacterial cellulose nanofiber for the determination of lead (Pb2+) ion in rice. Curcumin-modified bacterial cellulose nanofiber was characterized by FT-IR and FEG-SEM analyses. The fabricated chemosensor underwent a color change from orange to red in the presence of Pb2+. The selectivity of the sensor was examined by its challenging against the various heavy metal ions, such as Ba2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Mg2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ ions. The results proved that the developed sensor was selective toward Pb2 + ion. The sensing method provides the advantages of simplicity and cost-effectiveness for the quantitative detection of Pb2+ with the detection limits of 9 µM and 0.9 µM through observation with naked eye and image processing, respectively. The designed chemosensor is promising to be a low-cost and portable device for the on-site and real-time monitoring of Pb2+ ion.