• Ahmed, Jahir
• Rahman, Mohammed M.
• Alruwais, Raja Saad
• Alam, M. M.
• Faisal, Mohd

Abstract

<jats:p>In this study, a selective 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) sensor was developed onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as an electron-sensing substrate, which decorated with sol–gel, prepared Pt nanoparticles- (NPs) embedded polypyrole-carbon black (PPy-CB)/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) using differential pulse voltammetry. Characterizations of the NCs were performed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Ultraviolet–visible Spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD). The GCE modified by conducting coating binders [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate; PEDOT:PSS] based on Pt NPs/PPy-CB/ZnO NCs functioned as the working electrode and showed selectivity toward 4-NP in a phosphate buffer medium at pH 7.0. Our analysis of 4-NP showed the linearity from 1.5 to 40.5 µM, which was identified as the linear detection range (LDR). A current versus concentration plot was formed and showed a regression co-efficient R2 of 0.9917, which can be expressed by ip(µA) = 0.2493C(µM) + 15.694. The 4-NP sensor sensitivity was calculated using the slope of the LDR, considering the surface area of the GCE (0.0316 cm2). The sensitivity was calculated as 7.8892 µA µM−1 cm−2. The LOD (limit of detection) of the 4-NP was calculated as 1.25 ± 0.06 µM, which was calculated from 3xSD/σ (SD: Standard deviation of blank response; σ: Slope of the calibration curve). Limit of quantification (LOQ) is also calculated as 3.79 µM from LOQ = 10xLOD/3.3. Sensor parameters such as reproducibility, response time, and analyzing stability were outstanding. Therefore, this novel approach can be broadly used to safely fabricate selective 4-NP sensors based on nanoparticle-decorated nanocomposite materials in environmental measurement.</jats:p>

Topics

• nanoparticle
• nanocomposite
• impedance spectroscopy
• surface
• Carbon
• scanning electron microscopy
• x-ray diffraction
• x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• transmission electron microscopy
• Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
• Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy
• pulse voltammetry