Electrochemical Sensor for Nitrobenzene Detection Using Gold-Silver Alloy Nanodots and Manufacturing Method Thereof

Electrochemical Sensor for Nitrobenzene Based on Gold-Silver Alloy Nanodots in a Silicate Sol-Gel Matrix

This technology is an electrochemical sensor and its manufacturing method that modifies the surface of a glassy carbon electrode with an amine-functionalized silicate sol-gel matrix embedded with 1–3 nm gold-silver alloy nanodots to electrocatalytically promote and detect the nitrobenzene reduction reaction.

While gold and silver nanoparticles exhibit excellent catalytic properties below 10 nm, creating small bimetallic nanoparticles has historically required multi-step processes and hazardous reducing agents like hydrazine, sodium borohydride, or alkyltrimethylammonium halides. Furthermore, there has been a lack of high-sensitivity electrode materials capable of reliably detecting nitrobenzene, a toxic pollutant.

This technology uses a single-step synthesis by adding gold and silver precursors to an aqueous silane monomer solution and stirring to encapsulate Au(0)-Ag(0) bimetallic alloy nanodots within the matrix, which is then drop-cast onto an electrode to complete the sensor. Catalytic activity can be optimized by adjusting the gold-to-silver composition ratio between 1:3 and 3:1. Applicable to monitoring nitroaromatic pollutants in industrial wastewater and soil, as well as chemical plant discharge monitoring, this eco-friendly electrode, produced without hazardous reducing agents, allows for the rapid quantification of nitrobenzene.

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Key Features:

• Electrochemical sensor for nitrobenzene detection comprising a silicate sol-gel matrix with embedded gold-silver alloy nanodots on an electrode
• Configuration where gold and silver form a zero-valent bimetallic alloy structure with nanodot particle sizes of 1 to 3 nm and a composition ratio of 1:3 to 3:1
• Step of cleaning and drying a glassy carbon electrode, followed by drop-casting and drying an SSG-AuAg NDs solution on the electrode surface
• Step of synthesizing a nanodot solution by adding and stirring HAuCl4 and AgNO3 in an aqueous N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine silane monomer solution

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