Critical Review on Analytical Techniques for the Separation and Detection of metallic Nano Particles in Water Samples

Abstract

Separation is the most basic, yet a very important and dominant, feature of any sample preparation techniques. Various analytical techniques are required in order to determine metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) in different environmental sample metrics. The main challenges here are extremely low concentrations in combination with complex. This review article summarized some of the available techniques recently developed for the separation and detection of MNPs. Solid phase extraction(SPE) and cloud point extraction (CPE) have shown high efficiency in the preparation of water samples containing low levels of MNPs. ICP–MS coupled to size separation techniques such as chromatographic techniques and CPE is promising in terms of the high sensitivity and very low LODs that may be achieved. However, the complexity of real sample matrices, the co-presence of dissolved ions, and transformation of MNPs can reduce the accuracy of the measurement of MNP sizes and concentrations. Therefore, further development of analytical techniques is pressingly needed to determine the nature of MNPs at ultra trace levels and to address the implications due to their surface modification, transformation and dissolution in complex environmental matrices