Surface modified Nanoparticles for Water Pollution Detection

Water pollution is one of major concerns in the World. Directly or indirectly, it affects everyone in our planet. Surface-modified nanoparticles have emerged as promising tools for detecting water pollutants such as antibiotics, metal ions (lead, mercury, arsenic), endocrine disruptors, pesticides, and organic contaminants. These nanoparticles can be functionalized with various coatings including natural products, polymers, to enhance their specificity and sensitivity. Their large surface area-to-volume ratio facilitates interactions with contaminants at trace levels, enabling detection through mechanisms like fluorescence quenching, colorimetric changes, or electrochemical responses. Researchers are developing portable sensing platforms utilizing these properties for rapid, onsite water quality assessment. This research offers significant potential for addressing environmental challenges by providing sensitive, selective, and cost-effective solutions for monitoring water pollution.



The goal of this Research Topic is to introduce advanced, low-cost, surface-modified nanoparticles for the effective detection of water pollutants such as antibiotics, metal ions, endocrine disruptors, and pesticides. Traditional methods for detecting these contaminants are often time-consuming, expensive, and require sophisticated laboratory equipment. By leveraging recent advances in nanotechnology, we aim to create a platform of scientific articles which describe highly sensitive, selective, and portable sensing platforms for detection as well as separation of water pollutants. Various nanoparticles including silica, gold, magnetic, polymeric etc., with their tailored surface modifications, can provide rapid, robust, on-site detection capabilities. Achieving this goal involves optimizing nanoparticle synthesis, enhancing surface functionalization techniques, and integrating these nanoparticles into user-friendly sensor devices. This approach promises to significantly improve water quality monitoring, ensuring timely and accurate detection of pollutants, and contributing to better environmental and public health outcomes.



This Research Topic focuses on detection and purification of water pollutants using surface modified nanoparticles. We look for Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini-reviews or Perspective articles which advances low-cost alternative materials to overcome the hurdle in handling water pollution comprising the following topics:

• Natural product conjugated nanoparticles for water pollutant detection and separation

• Molecularly imprinted polymers for water pollution

• Conjugation methods onto nanoparticles

• Industrial application of nanoparticles to detect and separate water pollutants

• Low-cost nanomaterials for water pollution

• Polymer coated nanoparticles for water pollution

• Nanomaterials synthesis, characterization and application in water pollution

• Industrially available nanoparticles for water pollution: challenges and scope

Keywords: Water Pollution, Natural Product coating, Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Nanoparticles, Environmental

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.