Development of boron nitride incorporated molybdenum disulfide nanocomposite as a simultaneous electrochemical transducer for environmentally hazardous ortho and para-nitroaniline isomers in aquatic environments

Abstract

Harmful nitroaniline isomers are highly environmentally toxic, their main source being the improper release of industrial waste. These isomers are commonly utilized in various chemical products. The presence of these organic compounds in water and the environment poses a significant carcinogenic risk to humans. Therefore, there is an urgent need to monitor and detect these isomers in aqueous mediums to minimize the potential hazards they pose. To tackle this issue, we have developed an electrocatalyst called boron nitride@molybdenum disulfide nanodisk (BN@MoS2 ND) for the simultaneous detection of o-NA and p-NA in tap, river, and mineral water samples. The synthesized nanodisk was characterized using PXRD, FT-IR, Raman spectra, XPS, and FE-SEM studies. The incorporation of BN with MoS2 as a mediator in the reduction mechanism resulted in excellent electron transfer (Rct = 167.73 Ω) and increased surface area (SBET = 31.606 m2 g−1). The proposed sensor exhibited a good linear range, the limit of detection, and sensitivity toward o-NA and p-NA, under pH-regulated conditions, with values of ca. 0.001–778.88 μM, ca. 0.4 nM, and ca. 20.142 ( ± 0.002) μA μM−1 cm−2 and ca. 0.001–569.96 μM, ca. 0.6 nM, and ca. 14.371 (±0.002) μA μM−1 cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the BN@MoS2/SPCE demonstrated good recoveries of ∼94–99 % for tap, river, and mineral water samples, thereby confirming its excellent ability to detect harmful nitroaniline isomers in aqueous mediums and the environment.