Preparation of Ag/C Nanocomposites Based on Silver Maleate and Their Use for the Analysis of Iodine Ions

In recent decades, metal-containing nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention from researchers. In the present study, a detailed analysis of the preparation of Ag/C nanocomposites through the thermolysis of silver maleate was carried out. Thermolysis products are nanocomposites containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) uniformly distributed in a stabilizing carbon matrix. The composition, structure, and properties of the obtained nanocomposites were studied using IR-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). This article reports on the possibility of using Ag/C nanocomposites to create new indicator papers that are sensitive to iodide ions in the concentration range of 0.03–1.6 mg/L (0.24–12.6 μM). The developed papers are used in a technique based on the oxidation of iodides with the formation of molecular iodine, which is extracted in an air stream and transferred to a sensitive paper layer containing silver NPs. The interaction of silver NPs with iodine leads to optical changes that can be tracked using a conventional scanner.