TiO2-Anchored Graphene Nanocomposite as Robust Fluorometric Sensor for Ag+ Ions and its Real Sample Analysis

A hybrid nanocomposite comprised of reduced graphene oxide and titanium dioxide (rGO-TiO2) was synthesized from graphite following reduced graphene oxide synthesis, which utilized a modified Hummer’s method and then subsequently reduced. The optical, morphological and structural properties of the hybrid composite were characterized with FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM, XRD and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The rGO-TiO2 composite retains its in-solution affinity and selectivity for Ag+ ions in an aqueous medium in spite of the presence of other metal ions. The sensing capabilities of this fluorometric sensor arise from the inhibition of photoinduced electron transfer mechanism (PET). The rGO-TiO2 hybrid composite represents a low-cost, sensitive and effective sensing platform for the hazardous monitoring of metal ions under ambient conditions, particularly silver.