Surface functionalization of silver nanoparticles with pecan nutshell extract for the colorimetric detection of vitamin B1

Abstract

Vitamin B1 plays an important role in many biological processes and an imbalance of this biomolecule may negatively alter biogeochemical cycles and harm aquatic life, making its monitoring crucial for public health and environmental preservation. Recent efforts have been focused on developing simple, cost-effective sensors to monitor water quality. Colorimetric sensors, particularly those utilizing noble metal nanoparticles, are a promising solution. In this work, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles via chemical reduction is reported, followed by their surface functionalization with molecules extracted from the pecan nutshell. Silver nanoparticles with an average particle size of 8.2 nm were synthesized via chemical reduction by using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and then, functionalized with biomolecules extracted from pecan nutshell. The functionalized and non-functionalized Ag nanoparticles were tested for the colorimetric detection of vitamin B1. A LOD of 18.5 µM and a R² value of 0.988 were found for the functionalized Ag nanoparticles, presenting a notable improvement compared to the detection using non-functionalized nanoparticles. Hence, the functionalization of silver nanoparticles with biomolecules significantly enhances the colorimetric detection of vitamin B1. Moreover, this methodology can be extended for the detection of other analytes of interest.