Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
MATERIALS TODAY NANO, cilt.35, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The heterogeneous distribution of explosives in contaminated soils makes spectroscopic methods and field-appropriate test kits, capable of on-site detection, an effective tool for rapid and sensitive detection of contamination. This study addresses the development of a silica nanoparticle (SiNPs)-based nanosensor (ZnQ2@SiNPs) for the sensitive, rapid, on-site, and low-cost determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), an explosive that has never moved away from societal security focus. The surface of SiNPs synthesized sub-50 nm were doped with zinc(II)-quinolinate (ZnQ2) chelate, thereby imparting fluorescence to the nanoparticles. The characterization of ZnQ2@SiNPs was elucidated using various instrumental techniques (such as STEM, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, TGA, and DSC). ZnQ2@SiNPs exhibit high selectivity for TNT in a DMF-H2O (7:3, v/v) solvent mixture, where their fluorescence emission is quenched. The mechanism behind the fluorescence quenching was determined to be photoinduced electron transfer (PET) using fluorescence lifetime, Stern-Volmer plot, UV-Vis titration, and DFT analyses supported by redox potentials. ZnQ2@SiNPs, capable of determining TNT with a sensitivity of 25.0 nmol L-1, are not significantly affected by various interferences (such as metal cations, anions, and camouflage materials). Even in the presence of potentially interfering species, the nanoprobe gave TNT recoveries ranging from 93.9 to 105.5%. Outside of the solution medium, ZnQ2@SiNPs were let to adhere to the surface of a chromatographic paper, acting as a test strip and allowing for both fluorometric and colorimetric determination of TNT with the naked-eye. Additionally, these analytical signals can be monitored via a smart-phone application, enabling on-site TNT detection.