Abstract
With an increasing focus on applied research, series of single/composite materials are being investigated for device development to detect several hazardous, dangerous, and toxic molecules. Here, we report a preliminary attempt of an electrochemical sensor fabricated using pristine Ni and Cr–doped nano tin oxide material (SnO2) as a tool to detect agro-hazardous material, i.e. Organophosphate (OP, chlorpyrifos). The nanomaterial was synthesized using the solution method. Nickel and chromium were used as dopant during synthesis. The synthesized material was calcined at 1000 °C and characterized for morphological, structural, and elemental analysis that showed the formation of agglomerated nanosized particles of crystalline nature. Screen-printed films of powder obtained were used as a matrix for working electrodes in a cyclic voltammogram (CV) at various concentrations of organophosphates (0.01 to 100 ppm). The CV curves were obtained before and after the immobilization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) on the nanomaterial matrix. An interference study was also conducted with hydroquinone to ascertain the selectivity. The preliminary study indicated that such material can be used as suitable matrix for a device that can easily detect OP to a level of 10 ppb and thus contributes to progress in terms of desired device technology for the food and agricultural-industries.
Highlights
Instruments are available to detect pollutants through gas chromatography (GC), electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography (TLC), mass spectrophotometry (MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
Ni-doped SnO2 nanoparticles with 0–5 wt% Ni were synthesized by Lavanya N et al using the microwave irradiation method with Horse Radish Peroxidase (HRP) for H2O2 sensing by forming a film[17]
A field emission scanning electron microscopig image (FESEM) of pristine SnO2 powder is shown in Fig. 1a, where a mix of spherical and hexagonal particles of approximately 50–150 nm are seen, some of which are slightly agglomerated
Summary
Instruments are available to detect pollutants through gas chromatography (GC), electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography (TLC), mass spectrophotometry (MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A form of device that can quickly detect OP at the lowest possible concentrations is needed immediately. The development of such a device would require a suitable material that can be used as a matrix/transducer for signal conversion and reliable/reproducible detection. Miguel García-Tecedor et al recently fabricated Cr-doped SnO2 microtubes by thermal evaporation and found homogeneously distributed Cr along the tubes at a concentration of approximately 1 at%. They studied the optical properties of the microtubes that showed a purple color in contrast to the undoped transparent microtubes[21]. Reports on OP sensing using doped SnO2 are rare
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