Recent Advances and Perspective on Design and Synthesis of Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Sensing of Heavy Metals

The increase in release of toxic heavy metals into natural water attracts much attention due to its devastating effect on ecology and human health. The design and implementation of green electrode materials is pivotal for improving the electrochemical performance of in situ heavy metal monitoring. This work reviews various novel electrode materials and hybrid materials that improve electrochemical detection. Modified green and novel electrode materials offer better performance due to their improved deposition with wide linear and enhanced response under optimized sensing parameters. In particular, recent works related to gold, carbon materials, bismuth, and metal oxide-based electrodes are reviewed. The environmentally friendly ("green") characteristics, as well as their versatility and flexibility, are especially emphasized. In addition, synthesis methods and novel designs of electrode integration are highlighted. Most of the substantial achievements as well as breakthroughs in recent years are surveyed, and the challenges and prospective in this field are also identified.