Colorimetric Detection of Acenaphthene and Naphthalene Using Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a class of chemicals that occur naturally. They generally demonstrate a high degree of critical toxicity towards humans. Acenaphthene and naphthalene contain compounds that are commonly found in the environment as compared to other PAHs. Consequently, a reliable method of detecting PAHs is crucial for the monitoring of water quality. A colorimetric method based on sodium nitrite-functionalized gold nanoparticles was developed in this study for acenaphthene and naphthalene detection. Different functionalized parameters are determined for the optimization of assay conditions. A linear relationship was found in the analyte concentration range of 0.1-10 ppm with the limit of detection for acenaphthene and naphthalene being 0.046 ppm and 0.0015 ppm, respectively, under the optimized assay conditions. The method's recovery rate for actual samples falls within the range of 98.4-103.0%. In selective and anti-interference tests, the presence of cations and anions has minimal impact on the detection of the analyte. The colorimetric detection method proposed in this study effectively determines the presence of the analyte in real water samples and has a high recovery rate.

Automated summary

A colorimetric method based on sodium nitrite-functionalized gold nanoparticles was developed for the detection of acenaphthene and naphthalene. The method showed a linear relationship between the analyte concentration range of 0.1-10 ppm and had a limit of detection of 0.046 ppm for acenaphthene and 0.0015 ppm for naphthalene. The recovery rate for actual samples was found to be within the range of 98.4-103.0%. In selective and anti-interference tests, the presence of cations and anions had minimal impact on the detection of the analyte. This study provides an effective colorimetric method for detecting the presence of acenaphthene and naphthalene in real water samples with a high recovery rate.