Ammonia Mediated Silver Nanoparticles Based Detection of Bisphenol A, an Endocrine Disruptor, in Water Samples after Vortex-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Microextraction

Bisphenol A (BPA), an alkylphenolic compound, is one of the most polluting and hazardous organic chemicals. Its routine detection is, however, still rather expensive due to high-cost equipment. In this context, we applied the effect caused by BPA to the optical properties of surfactant-stabilized silver nanoparticles further modified with the use of ammonia (AgNP-NH3) to develop a simple and quantitative approach for BPA determination. The experimental conditions of the AgNP-NH3 probe were adjusted to establish a stable and sensitive response toward BPA in aqueous media. The use of probe dispersion measured at a wavelength of 403 nm enabled a limit of detection of 2.0 nmol L-1 (0.5 ng mL-1), with a linear response as a function of a concentration of BPA ranging from 10 to 120 nmol L-1 (from 2.2 to 27 ng mL(-1)). The use of vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction ensured the application of selective determination to real tap and stream water samples, with recoveries ranging from 85.0 to 111%. The protocol developed herein is simple, sensitive, and selective, does not require the use of toxic labeling agents, and can be easily adapted for the routine analysis of BPA in different real samples.

Automated summary

A simple and quantitative method for detecting the polluting organic chemical BPA was developed using modified silver nanoparticles as a probe. The study found that the use of this probe achieved a sensitive and stable response to BPA, allowing for selective determination in real water samples.