Distance readout of Al content with naked eyes on a cotton thread

• Main Authors: Chunxiu Xu, Wanjie Huang, Shunying Zhu, Ziqi Li, Longfei Cai, Minghua Zhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIP Publishing LLC 2018-10-01
• Series: AIP Advances
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5052525

We described a facile method for distance-based detection of aluminum on a thread based on the adsorption of formed complex onto thread. Chrome azurol S (CAS) containing Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTMAB) were used as chromogenic reagent, which reacts with aluminum to form AL-CAS-CTMAB complex on a thread. The complex was adsorbed onto thread to generate a colored band. Aluminum contents could be quantified by measuring the length of colored band on the thread using a ruler, thereby eliminating the need for electronic readout devices and trained personnel. This instrument-free method has features of low cost, easy to operation, fast analysis speed, disposability and low reagents/sample consumption. Moreover, considering that the thread fiber has adsorption capability to various molecules such as metal-ligand complexes and biomolecules, we believe that this technique holds the potentials to be widely adaptable to distance-based chemical and biochemical analysis.