Green-synthesized silver nanoparticle-modulated polydiacetylene-based colorimetric pesticide sensor

Recently, pesticide contamination has become a major threat to public health and ecosystems owing to its widespread and uncontrolled use in agriculture. Herein, we introduce a paper-based colorimetric sensing platform using polydiacetylene (PDA) that can be used as an efficient and cost-effective method for detecting pesticide residues. The sensor is designed on a nitrate cellulose membrane using 10,12-henicosadiynoic acid (HCDA), monomer of PDA, green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and saponite clay (SC). The AgNPs were synthesized from <i>Araucaria heterophylla</i> leaf extract following a green synthesis protocol. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized through UV-Vis absorption, FESEM, TEM, DLS, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. Moreover, the PDA phase change in the presence of AgNPs was optimized by varying AgNP concentration. The designed paper sensors responded to three commonly used pesticides, namely, cypermethrin (P₁), pretilachlor (P₂) and chlorpyriphos/cypermethrin (P₃). It was found that the detection of different pesticides in different concentration regions can be achieved by varying AgNP to HCDA ratios. To determine pesticide concentration from the colorimetric response, a MATLAB-based program was developed for analyzing the RGB values corresponding to colour changes before and after exposure. The proposed sensor is similar to litmus paper in which sensing is achieved based on the visible colour change upon pesticide exposure. Therefore, it is economical and easy to use. This pesticide-detecting sensor provides measurements with high accuracy in a wide range of ambient conditions and is therefore a perfect portable system for point-of-care/on-site detection of pesticide residues.