Colorimetric sensing of imidacloprid in cucumber fruits using a graphene quantum dot/Au (III) chemosensor

The current research presents a very simple method for the colorimetric detection of imidacloprid using a graphene quantum dot/Au (III) chemosensor. The results demonstrated that there is an interaction between Au(3+) ions and the imidazole group of the pesticide toward reduction of Au(3+) to Au(0) in the presence of graphene quantum dots. This phenomenon changes the color of gold nanoparticles from yellow to grey or red, and causes a shift in the peak of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) as gold nanoparticles are formed or aggregated based on the concentration of imidacloprid. Imidacloprid was determined by the developed sensor in a linear area of 0.01–1 ppm with a detection limit of 0.007 ppm. Therefore, a simple, quick, and sustainable sensor has been developed for the determination of the investigated analyte. Moreover, the sensor was applied to determine imidacloprid in the real cucumber samples fairly successful.