Selective Colorimetric Detection of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) Using Arginine-mediated Aggregation of Gold Nanoparticles

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Taefi, Zahra | 2019

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Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
Language: Farsi
Document No: 52478 (03)
University: Sharif University of Technology
Department: Chemistry
Advisor(s): Hormozinezhad, Mohammad Reza
Abstract:
Detection of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) as an explosive has been of great interest because of public safety and military concerns. Here, we have presented a simple, selective and sensitive colorimetric method for direct detection of PETN. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were first exposed to arginine which has primary amines in its structure. Primary amines from arginine as electron donors could strongly interact with electron deficient –NO2 group of PETN. Also, hydrogen bonding could happen between the –NO2 group of PETN and –NH2 group of arginine molecules. Therefore, selective aggregation of AuNPs happened because of the donor-acceptor and hydrogen bonding interactions. Due to the aggregation, the color of reddish AuNPs turned to blue or purple depend on PETN concentration. A good linear relationship was achieved between the aggregation signal (absorbance ratio of A650/A520) of the probe and the concentration of PETN with a limit of detection of 0.169 μmol L-1. Furthermore, we have found that the developed probe has the capability to detect PETN in complex matrices of groundwater and soil sample
Keywords:
Pentaerythritol ; Gold Nanoparticle ; Arginine ; Colorimetric ; Colorimetric Sensor ; Plasmonic Nanoparticles

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