Trace detection of cadmium (II) ions based on an excessively tilted fiber grating

Cadmium (Cd 2+ ) ion is one of the most crucial industrial pollutants that cause serious harm to the human body. We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a highly sensitive Cd 2+ sensor based on hydrogel coated excessively tilted fiber grating. The hydrogel with the functional monomer of the allyl thiourea can specifically bind to Cd 2+ , and hence forming a complex. The grating excites high order cladding modes, and ensures a sufficient interaction between the light and hydrogel binding to Cd 2+ , providing highly sensitive monitoring. The results show that the sensor can detect 0-160 pM Cd 2+ in aqueous solution. The maximum sensitivity is 10600 nm/µM, and the minimum detection concentration is 20 pM (about 0.004 ppb), which is much less than that of the international standard (3 ppb). The proposed sensor exhibits high sensitivity, ultra-low detection limit, specificity, and a compact structure, offering potential as a tool for Cd 2+ detection in aqueous solution.