Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Characterization of Iron(II) and 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

• Published in: Analytical letters Vol. 48; no. 15; pp. 2482 - 2492
• Main Authors: Brown, Kristopher, Doo, Hyungie, Makamba, Honest, Seo, Seong S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 13.10.2015
• Subjects: 2,4-dinitrotoluene; Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Cyclic voltammetry; Electrodes; Explosives; Glassy carbon; Iron; Nanoparticles; Reduction; Surface chemistry; Surface modified electrode; Voltammetry; Cyclic voltammetry; 2,4-dinitrotoluene; Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Surface modified electrode
• ISSN: 0003-2719; 1532-236X
• DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2015.1030675

The objective of this work was the development of reliable methods to determine 2,4-dinitrotoluene, a precursor to explosives. A complex between Fe(II) ion and 2,4-dinitrotoluene was formed in solution and characterized by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy using Job's plots and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Surface modification of glassy carbon electrodes were performed with iron nanoparticles via electrochemical reduction of iron(II). The modified electrode was employed for the determination of 2,4-dinitrotoluene. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the iron nanoparticles were incorporated on the surface of glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical determination of 2,4-dinitrotoluene was performed by cyclic voltammetry using the modified electrode. The iron modified electrode produced larger reduction currents than the unmodified electrode for the same concentration of 2,4-dinitrotoluene. Concentrations of 2,4-dinitrotoluene as low as 10 parts per billion were determined using the modified electrode.