Acacia auriculiformis mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles for the sensitive and rapid electrochemical sensing of nitrite in water sample

This study presents a novel and cost-effective approach for the detection of nitrite ions using biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from the aqueous leaf extract of Acacia auriculiformis. The use of phytochemicals from the plant extract to act as reducing agents is an eco-friendly and sustainable approach for the preparation of nanoparticles. The immobilization of the synthesized nanoparticles on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a nafion binder resulted in a highly sensitive and selective nitrite sensor. The fabricated AcAgNPs/GCE sensor exhibited superior electrocatalytic activity towards nitrite ions with a low LOD of 71.2 nM (nanomolar concentrations) and a sensitivity of 0.3411 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻² making it a promising sensor for the sensitive detection of nitrite in ecological samples. The study focuses on the potential of green-mediated silver nanoparticles in the development of cost-effective and eco-friendly sensors for environmental monitoring.