Fast determination of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate in diesel oils by infrared spectrometry

•ATR–FTIR method for the determination of 2-EHN in diesel fuel was developed.•Validation of the method was performed.•Ten real samples of diesel fuel analysed by means of 2-EHN content.•ATR–FTIR method founded as a faster alternative to previously developed GC/MS method. In this study a rapid and easily applicable method for the quantification of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (2-EHN) in diesel fuel was developed and validated. This method employees Fourier transform infrared spectrometry with attenuated total reflectance (ATR–FTIR). Before the determination of 2-EHN content, could be made to be necessary to analyse the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) content in diesel fuel in order to prepare the appropriate background solution. Based on the matrix assisted calibration method, the limit of detection was found to be 0.009%w/w for 2-EHN and the limit of quantification 0.025%w/w. The method is linear over the range 0.025–0.300%(w/w), with a correlation coefficient over 0.9998 with satisfactory accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. The ATR–FTIR method has been applied to quantify 2-EHN in ten samples of real diesel fuel. Relative standard deviations for all fuel samples were lower than 10%.