AIEE active SDS stabilized 2-naphthol nanoparticles as a novel fluorescent sensor for the selective recognition of crystal violet: application to environmental analysis

Fluorescent nanoparticles of sodium dodecyl sulphate stabilized 2-naphthol (SDS-2-NNPs) were prepared using a reprecipitation method, and exhibited aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) at 410nm. A novel spectrofluorimetric method for the quantitative determination of crystal violet based on the fluorescence quenching of SDS-2-NNPs in aqueous solution was proposed. The FL (fluorescence) intensity of SDS-2-NNPs, monitored at an excitation wavelength of 297 nm, was quenched by the successive addition of increasing amounts of crystal violet solution. The quenching results were found to fit the Stern-Volmer relationship in the range of 0.1-40 g L-1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9990. The limit of detection was found to be 0.38 ng L-1. The proposed sensing method based on FL quenching can be successfully applied for the quantitative analysis of crystal violet, over competitive ions, in water samples collected from different environments.