Colorimetric detection of Cd2+ using 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles

A colorimetric assay has been developed for facile, rapid, and sensitive detection of Cd2+ using 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles (ANS-AgNPs). The presence of Cd2+ induces the aggregation of ANS-AgNPs through cooperative metal–ligand interaction. As a result, the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of ANS-AgNPs at 390 nm was red-shifted to 580 nm, yielding a color change from bright yellow to reddish-brown. The color change is monitored by UV–Vis spectrometer and can be directly read out by the naked eye. Under the optimized conditions, a good linear relationship (correlation coefficient R = 0.997) was obtained between the ratio of the absorbance at 580 nm to that at 390 nm (A580nm/A390nm) and the concentration of Cd2+ over the range of 1.0–10 μM with detection limit of 87 nM. The proposed method is simple and efficient, which has been applied for determining Cd2+ in milk powder, serum, and lake water with satisfactory results.