Colorimetric sensor array based on gold nanoparticles for detection of mustard gas

Mustard gas is favored by terrorists due to its simple production process, ease of deployment, low cost, and severe destructive effects on human health. In terrorist attacks, the use of mustard gas can cause large casualties and seriously threaten public safety. In recent years, colorimetric detection technology has its unique advantages in the detection of toxic and harmful substances. Herein, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with 4 distinct nano-sizes are synthesized using gold (Ⅲ) chloride hydrate (HAuCl 4 ·xH 2 O) as the raw material, and either ascorbic acid or sodium citrate as the reducing agent, thereby constructing a 4 × 4 colorimetric sensor array. The preparation process is simple, the size of the nanoparticles is controllable, and the response to mustard gas is sensitive. The experimental results show that the detection linear range of the colorimetric sensor array is 5–100 mg·L −1 , and the limit of detection (LOD) is 4.13 mg·L −1 . Meanwhile, mustard gas in real samples are tested. The sample recovery rates are between 91.42 % and 122.1 %, and the relative standard deviation values (RSD) are between 0.21 % and 6.37 %. It suggests that the proposed colorimetric sensor array has a potential application on the detection of mustard gas in real samples.