Surface Modified Nanoparticles for Water Pollution Detection

Water pollution is a critical global issue, impacting ecosystems, human health, and economies. Traditional methods for detecting water pollutants, such as antibiotics, metal ions, endocrine disruptors, and pesticides, often require sophisticated laboratory equipment, are time-consuming, and can be prohibitively expensive. In recent years, surface-modified nanoparticles have emerged as a promising solution for addressing these challenges. These nanoparticles can be functionalized with various coatings, including natural products and polymers, to enhance their specificity and sensitivity. Their large surface area-to-volume ratio allows for interactions with contaminants at trace levels, enabling detection through mechanisms like fluorescence quenching, colorimetric changes, or electrochemical responses. Despite these advancements, there remains a need for further research to optimize nanoparticle synthesis, enhance surface functionalization techniques, and integrate these nanoparticles into portable, user-friendly sensor devices for rapid, onsite water quality assessment.

This Research Topic aims to introduce advanced, low-cost, surface-modified nanoparticles for the effective detection of water pollutants such as antibiotics, metal ions, endocrine disruptors, and pesticides. By leveraging recent advances in nanotechnology, the goal is to create a platform of scientific articles that describe highly sensitive, selective, and portable sensing platforms for the detection and separation of water pollutants. Achieving this 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.

To gather further insights into the detection and purification of water pollutants using surface-modified nanoparticles, we welcome Original Research articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, or Perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- 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

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

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.