A simple and rapid method for direct determination of Al(III) based on the enhanced resonance Rayleigh scattering of hemin-functionalized graphene-Al(III) system

• A novel RRS sensor for Al(III) was established with hemin-functionalized graphene.
• It is a simple, rapid assay for Al(III) detection and the reaction only needs 2 min.
• This method has been successfully used for Al(III) detection in real samples.
• The principle of this sensor has been discussed in detail.

A novel method for direct determination of Al(III) by using hemin-functionalized graphene (H-GO) has been established based on the enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) intensity. The characteristics of RRS spectra, the optimum reaction conditions, and the reaction mechanism have been investigated. In this experiment, the Al(III) would exist in sol–gel Al(OH)3 species under the condition of pH 5.9 in aqueous solutions. When H-GO existed in the solution, the sol–gel Al(OH)3 would react with H-GO and result in enhancement of RRS intensity, owing to the enhanced hydrophobicity of H-GO surface. Therefore, a simple and rapid sensor for Al(III) was developed. The increased intensity of RRS is directly proportional to the concentration of Al(III) in the range of 10 nM–6 μM, along with a detection limit of 0.87 nM. Moreover, the sensor has been applied to determination of Al(III) concentration in real water and aspirin tablet samples with satisfactory results. Therefore, the proposed method is promising as an effective means for selective and sensitive determination of Al(III).

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