Miniaturized dual-wavelength β-correction spectrophotometric probe for sensitive detection of cyanide in water via formation of cyano dithizone adduct

[Display omitted] •A robust optical sensor harnessing dithizone-cyanide adduct for cyanide detection.•A miniaturized dual-wavelength β-correction spectrophotometry for trace detection of cyanide ions.•Complete assignment of mechanism and optimization of extraction variables.•Validation in terms of student’s t and F test at 95% confidence. Cyanide toxicity in water significantly threatens public health and the environment. To address this, a miniaturized simple, low-cost, selective and sensitive direct dual wave β-correction spectrophotometric probe has been established for cyanide detection in water. The dual-wavelength β-correction spectrophotometry enhances the selectivity and sensitivity of the probe in the presence of interfering species. The assay relies a highly selective nucleophilic addition of cyanide ions to dithizone (H2Dz) as chromogenic reagent in aqueous media of pH 6.8–7.2, forming a red-colored cyano H2Dz adduct. The electronic spectrum of the formed adduct displays a sharp absorption peak at λmax = 480 nm, enabling precise colorimetric detection. The molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity index for the cyano H2Dz adduct with and without β-correction spectrophotometry were 5.62 × 103, and 1.79 × 103 L mol−1 cm−1, and 0.002 and 0.0033 µg cm−2, respectively. Beer’s law and Ringbom’s plots are valid in the range 0.01–5.0 and 0.06–2.0 µg mL−1 CN– concentration, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) improved from 1.03 × 10−1 and 3.13 × 10−1 μg/mL using ordinary spectrophotometry to 2.8 × 10−2 and 8.7 × 10−2 μg mL−1 employing β-correction spectrophotometry. The probe offers rapid response, good anti-interference ability, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness. The probe was successfully applied for detection of trace levels of cyanide ions in water with good repeatability. It has been also validated in water samples with good recoveries (99.2 ± 5.02 %). The experimental Student t test (texp = 1.2–1.5) was lower than the critical (texp = 2.78) at 95 % probability (n = 5). The stoichiometry and mechanism of formation of the cyano adduct were assigned and addressed.