Detecting and identifying aqueous solutions of hydrocarbons with a gold nanoparticle chemiresistor sensor array

A sensor array of gold nanoparticle chemiresistors, functionalized with a variety of thiolate ligands, was used to detect different hydrocarbons dissolved in water. Discriminant analysis of the sensor responses showed that the diluted saturated solutions of kerosene, turpentine, two types of oil and three types of petrol could be clearly identified across a range of concentrations.