Highly sensitive colorimetric assay for penconazole using gold nanostar-graphene quantum dot composite

In this study, a simple and sensitive colorimetric method for penconazole sensing is reported. It is based on the etching/anti-etching strategy in which gold nanostar@graphene quantum dot (AuNS@GQD) nanocomposite acts as a sensing nanoprobe and IO₄^- as an etching agent. With adding IO₄^- to the solution of AuNSs@GQDs, the sharp tips of NSs are etched and they are transformed into nearly spherical nanostructures, and the color of the solution changes from green to violet. These changes can be attributed to the oxidation of gold atoms at the sharp corners and tips of NSs with I₂, produced by the reaction of IO₄^- with AuNS@GQD solution. When penconazole is added into the system, the color and shape variations of AuNSs caused by periodate are impressively prevented. It can be assigned to the strong binding affinity between nitrogen atoms of penconazole and gold atoms, which protects them from etching by I₂. This mechanism has been affirmed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectra. This approach exhibited a good linear relationship (R² = 0.999) between the wavelength shift and penconazole concentration in the range of 5.0-1000.0 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.5 nM. The sensor is stable and reproducible and was used to measure penconazole in spiked water samples with recoveries over 97%.