Electrochemical Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide/Gold Nanoparticles in a Single Step for Carbaryl Detection in Water

Effect of Aspect Ratio of a Gold-Nanorod-Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Carbaryl Detection in Three Different Samples of Vegetables

In this study, three different sizes of gold nanorods (AuNRs) were synthesized using the seed-growth method by adding various volumes of AgNO3 as 400, 600, and 800 μL into the growth solution of gold nanoparticles. Three different sizes of AuNRs were then characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the surface morphology, topography, and aspect ratios of each synthesized AuNR. The aspect ratios from the histogram of size distributions of three AuNRs as 2.21, 2.53, and 2.85 can be calculated corresponding to the addition of AgNO3 volumes of 400, 600, and 800 μL. Moreover, each AuNR in three different aspect ratios was drop-cast onto the surface of a commercial screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) to obtain three different SPCE-modified AuNRs (SPCE-A400, SPCE-A600, and SPCE-A800, respectively). All SPCE-modified AuNRs were then evaluated for their electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques and the highest electrochemical performance was shown as the order of magnitude of SPCE-A400 > SPCE-A600/SPCE-A800. The reason for the highest electrocatalytic activity of SPCE-A400 might be due to the smallest particle size and uniform distribution of AuNRs ∼ 2.2, which enhanced the charge transfer, thus providing the highest electroactive surface area (0.6685 cm2) compared to other electrodes. These results also confirm that the sensing mechanism for all SPCE-modified AuNRs is controlled by diffusion phenomena. In addition, the optimum pH was obtained as 4 for carbaryl detection for all SPCE-modified AuNRs with the highest current shown by SPCE-A400. Furthermore, SPCE-A400 has the highest fundamental parameters (surface coverage, catalytic rate constant, electron transfer rate constant, and adsorption capacity) for carbaryl detection, which were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric techniques. The electroanalytical performances of all SPCE-modified AuNRs for carbaryl detection were also investigated with SPCE-A400 displaying the best performance among other electrodes in terms of its linearity (0.2-100 μM), limit of detection (LOD) ∼ 0.07 μM, and limit of quantification (LOQ) ∼ 0.2 μM. All SPCE-modified AuNRs were also subsequently evaluated for their stability, reproducibility, and selectivity in the presence of interfering species such as NaNO2, NH4NO3, Zn(CH3CO2)2, FeSO4, diazinon, and glucose and show reliable results as depicted from %RSD values less than 3%. At last, all SPCE-modified AuNRs have been employed for carbaryl detection using a standard addition technique in three different samples of vegetables (cabbage, cucumber, and Chinese cabbage) with its results (%recovery ≈ 100%) within the acceptable analytical range. In conclusion, this work demonstrates the great potential of a disposable device based on an AuNR-modified SPCE for rapid detection and high sensitivity in monitoring the concentration of carbaryl as a residual pesticide in vegetable samples.

Graphene derivatives-based electrodes for the electrochemical determination of carbamate pesticides in food products: A review

Graphene (GR) composites have great potential for the determination of carbamates pesticides (CPs) by electrochemical methods. Since the beginning of the 20th century, GR has shown remarkable promise as electrode material for various sensors. The contamination of food products with harmful CPs is a major problem as they do not always damage human health immediately, but can be harmful after prolonged exposure. A range of advantages can be gained from their electrochemical determination, such as high sensitivity, reasonably selectivity, rapid detection, low limit of detection, and easy electrode fabrication. Furthermore, these electrochemical techniques are robust, reproducible, user-friendly, and conform to both "green" and "white" analytical chemistry. This review is focused on results published in the last ten years in the field of electrochemical determination of CPs in food products using GR and its derivatives.

Carbon Nanomaterials-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes for Sensing Applications

Electrochemical sensors consisting of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are recurrent devices in the recent literature for applications in different fields of interest and contribute to the expanding electroanalytical chemistry field. This is due to inherent characteristics that can be better (or only) achieved with the use of SPEs, including miniaturization, cost reduction, lower sample consumption, compatibility with portable equipment, and disposability. SPEs are also quite versatile; they can be manufactured using different formulations of conductive inks and substrates, and are of varied designs. Naturally, the analytical performance of SPEs is directly affected by the quality of the material used for printing and modifying the electrodes. In this sense, the most varied carbon nanomaterials have been explored for the preparation and modification of SPEs, providing devices with an enhanced electrochemical response and greater sensitivity, in addition to functionalized surfaces that can immobilize biological agents for the manufacture of biosensors. Considering the relevance and timeliness of the topic, this review aimed to provide an overview of the current scenario of the use of carbonaceous nanomaterials in the context of making electrochemical SPE sensors, from which different approaches will be presented, exploring materials traditionally investigated in electrochemistry, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon black, and those more recently investigated for this (carbon quantum dots, graphitic carbon nitride, and biochar). Perspectives on the use and expansion of these devices are also considered.

An acetylcholinesterase-based biosensor for isoprocarb using a gold nanoparticles-polyaniline modified graphite pencil electrode

An analysis tool for isoprocarb has been successfully developed as a biosensor system based on enzymatic inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by isoprocarb. A gold nanoparticles-polyaniline modified graphite pencil electrode (AuNPs-PANI-GPE) was utilized to detect the change of thiocholine in the presence of isoprocarb. This electrode was prepared by two cyclic voltammetry steps, including the electro-polymerization of aniline on a graphite pencil and the electro-deposition of gold nanoparticles on the polyaniline surface. Characterization performed by SEM-EDX indicates that 8-80 nm size of gold nanoparticles could be deposited on the surface of polyaniline-modified graphite pencil (PANI-GPE). Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry suggested that the active surface area of the prepared electrode was 0.17019 cm², which was about 4 times higher than (PANI-GPE) and 13 times higher than the unmodified GPE. Furthermore, an oxidation peak of thiocholine could be observed at the modified GPE at a potential of + 0.675 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), formed by an enzymatic reaction of AChE in the presence of acetylthiocholine. This peak current was found to linearly increase with acetylthiocholine concentrations, while in the presence of isoprocarb in a constant concentration of AChE and acetylthiocholine the peak linearly decreases. At the optimum condition of 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution pH 7.4 containing 0.1 M KCl; 100 mU/ml AChE; and 1 mM acetylthiocholine chloride in an inhibition and contact time of 25 and 15 min, respectively, a linear calibration curve of isoprocarb in the concentration range of 0.05-1.0 μM could be provided. Estimated limits of detection and quantifications of 0.1615 nM and 0.5382 nM, respectively, with a sensitivity of 1.7771 μA/μM.mm² could be achieved. Furthermore, an excellent stability for 8 times measurements was observed with an RSD of 4.87%, suggesting that the developed tool is promising for the real detection of isoprocarb.