Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in the voltammetric detection of heavy metals: A review

Most heavy metal ions are known to be toxic and carcinogenic when present in high amounts. Thus, rapid and reliable on-site detection of these ions is crucial. Voltammetry is a highly sensitive electrochemical method that has been widely used for heavy metal detection offering the advantages of sensitivity and rapidity. On the other hand, nanoparticles offer the advantages of high surface area and high selectivity. Thus, this review aims to highlight the application of metallic and metallic oxide nanoparticles for the voltammetric detection of heavy metals. The nanoparticles used were either applied solely on the electrode or as modifiers with various materials. In all cases, the synthesized devices showed an enhanced analytical performance, such that the limits of detection were lowered and the sensitivities were increased as compared to voltammetric systems not using nanoparticles. Moreover, the applicability of some of these systems was investigated in real samples. •Nanoparticles offer the advantages of high surface area and electrocatalytic properties.•Voltammetry is a sensitive electrochemical method, widely used for heavy metal detection.•More than 130 recent articles report the use of nanoparticles for their voltammetric detection.•Using nanoparticles, the limits of detection were lowered and the sensitivities were increased.