A Disposable Electrochemical Sensor for Lead Ion Detection Based on In Situ Polymerization of Conductive Polypyrrole Coating

Abstract

Lead, a toxic heavy metal, is considered one of the most serious pollutants in the water environment, posing a grave threat to human health and the global ecosystem. In this work, a simple, fast and sensitive sensor strategy for detecting trace lead ions (Pb2+) in water was proposed. The disposable electrochemical sensor was fabricated with a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), and the working electrode was modified in a single step with in situ polymerized phytic acid functionalized polypyrrole (PA-PPy). Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) was employed to realize the efficient detection of Pb2+ in the range of 10–600 nM with a low detection limit of 0.43 nM (S/N = 3). The PA-PPy@SPCE sensor exhibits good stability, repeatability and anti-interference performance, indicating a promising application for real sample detection, and satisfactory recoveries were obtained when detecting Pb2+ in real tap water samples. Furthermore, the rapid sensor strategy with in situ polymerization of phytic acid functionalized polypyrrole composite material enables large-scale Pb2+ sensor preparation.Graphical Abstract