Highly sensitive luminescent sensor for cyanide ion detection in aqueous solution based on PEG-coated ZnS nanoparticles

Using polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated ZnS nanoparticles (NPs), a novel and highly sensitive luminescent sensor for cyanide ion detection in aqueous solution has been presented. ZnS NPs have been used to develop efficient luminescence sensor which exhibits high reproducibility and stability with the lowest limit of detection of 1.29 × 10−6 mol L−1. The observed limit of detection of the fabricated sensor is ∼6 times lower than maximum value of cyanide permitted by United States Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water (7.69 × 10−6 mol L−1). The interfering studies show that the developed sensor possesses good selectivity for cyanide ion even in presence of other coexisting ions. Importantly, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which demonstrates the utilization of PEG- coated ZnS NPs for efficient luminescence sensor for cyanide ion detection in aqueous solution. This work demonstrates that rapidly synthesized ZnS NPs can be used to fabricate efficient luminescence sensor for cyanide ion detection.

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► A new sensor has been developed for detection of cyanide ion in aqueous solution.
► Sensor is based upon luminescence changes of ZnS NPs in presence of cyanide ion.
► A very low limit of detection for cyanide ion has been achieved in aqueous solutions.